03-04-2012 Satellites

Satellite maps “revealed” the illegal constructions

Satellite maps revealing illegal construction throughout Greece for the first time have uncovered a “gold mine.” The maps were presented yesterday by the Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, G. Papakonstantinou, and show an “orgy” of illegal construction even after July, when the law on the regularization of illegal buildings came into force.

The ministry is targeting mainly Mykonos, Rhodes, and Santorini, where thorough inspections have been carried out. A comparison of the islands before and after July revealed that many owners rushed to build and submit regularization declarations, falsely claiming that the buildings had existed previously.

As the minister pointed out, “in Mykonos, where raids have been carried out by the Special Environmental Service, we have stopped the construction of buildings and the prosecutor has also become involved.” He also warned that he would exhaust all legal means to stop the construction of illegal buildings, after which the authorities would proceed with demolitions.

“Demolition is a difficult process. It is a process that involves many legal and operational difficulties. However, the services, in cooperation with the decentralized administrations, will proceed with a program that covers the whole of Greece,” he said. He concluded: “The maps will be completed in the coming months, and we will then have a picture of most of the Greek territory.”

Mr. Papakonstantinou also provided a map of Greece showing the locations of the 300,000 illegal buildings for which regularization applications have been submitted and €400 million has already been collected.