EU sues Greece over failure to update flood risk maps – POLITICO

The European Commission on Thursday launched legal action against Greece for failing to update its flood risk and flood risk maps, as required by EU law.

According to the EU executive, Greece has not updated maps by March 2020, as required by the 2007 EU flood directive, making it the only member country not to comply .

The Greek government initially said it would meet its obligations under EU law by June 2023, but before the summer it said it would not be able to comply before the end of the year , the Commission said, citing the delay as the main reason for getting the country to comply with European legislation. court.

The EU executive stressed that maps are “key instruments” for flood prevention and risk management, as “they help raise awareness of areas at risk of flooding and help communities develop strategies to reduce these risks”.

They can also be used by civil protection, firefighters and first responders to “plan emergency responses” and “support insurance decisions”, as well as to inform “land planning and urban development, in particular to avoid creating new risks,” added Brussels.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has been harshly criticized for his government’s response to deadly wildfires and devastating floods that hit the country over the summer.

The left-wing opposition particularly criticized Mitsotakis’s government for its lack of preparation and its inability to create the appropriate framework to manage these multiple disasters and their consequences.