The obligation to issue an active fire protection certificate for 1,039 activities – professions is abolished.

As part of the government’s policy to reduce bureaucracy and improve the business environment, the Ministries of Development and Competitiveness, Public Order & Citizen Protection, and Administrative Reform & e-Government announce the abolition of the requirement to issue an active fire protection certificate for 454 categories of economic sectors and a total of 1,039 activities and professions.

Specifically, by means of a joint ministerial decision which signed on Friday 5 December by the Ministers of Development & Competitiveness, Konstantinos Skrekas, Public Order & Protection of the Citizen, Vasilis Kikilias and Administrative Reform & Electronic Governance, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a series of economic activities and professions are exempt from the obligation to issue a certificate of active fire protection, a procedure that cost mainly in time but and in money for the professional – entrepreneur. The Joint Ministerial Decision comes in continuation of the previous decision for the abolition of the obligation to issue a license to operate for 103 economic sectors and a total of 897 activities – professions.

More specifically, the joint ministerial decision changes the philosophy with which the State and the Public Administration approach business, since with the redefinition of the regulations concerning fire safety, professionals and entrepreneurs are now responsible for taking all general preventive and repressive fire protection measures, which are defined according to the category of activities, without the need to issue a certificate.

Essentially, without compromising on safety, the bureaucratic burden on businesses is reduced. It should be noted that, depending on the category of activity, the obligation of the professional/entrepreneur to install permanent active fire protection systems continues to apply. Furthermore, there is an obligation to prepare a (active) fire protection study – technical description by a legally competent technical scientist, which will include firefighting measures and means, as well as the use of an alternative (non-water) fire protection method.

It should be noted that, according to the Joint Ministerial Decision, the following are exempt from the (Active) Fire Protection Certificate, including industries, small businesses, professional workshops, and all types of mechanical facilities and warehouses.

Attached is Annex I of No. F.15/oik.1589/104 (Government Gazette 90 /B/30-1-2006) decision, which describes in detail the industrial and craft facilities.