Message 001
Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2026) 1330
Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Notification: 2026/0242/GR
Notification of a draft text from a Member State
Notification – Notification – Notifzierung – Нотификация – Oznámení – Notifikation – Γνωστοποίηση – Notificación – Teavitamine – Ilmoitus – Obavijest – Bejelentés – Notifica – Pranešimas – Paziņojums – Notifika – Kennisgeving – Zawiadomienie – Notificação – Notificare – Oznámenie – Obvestilo – Anmälan – Fógra a thabhairt
Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délai - Kein Fristbeginn - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nezahajuje prodlení - Fristerne indledes ikke - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - No abre el plazo - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Ne otvara razdoblje kašnjenja - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Non fa decorrere la mora - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Atlikšanas laikposms nesākas - Ma jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dewmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nezačína oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Inleder ingen frist - Ní osclaíonn sé na moilleanna
MSG: 20261330.EN
1. MSG 001 IND 2026 0242 GR EN 15-05-2026 GR NOTIF
2. Greece
3A. ΕΛΟΤ, ΚΕΝΤΡΟ ΠΛΗΡΟΦΟΡΗΣΗΣ ΟΔΗΓΙΑΣ 98/34/Ε.Ε, ΚΗΦΙΣΟΥ 50, 121 33 ΠΕΡΙΣΤΕΡΙ, ΑΘΗΝΑ, Τ/Φ: + 30210- 2120104, Τ/Ο: + 30210- 2120131
3B. Υπουργείο Κλιματικής Κρίσης και Πολιτικής Προστασίας Διακυβέρνησης, Λεωφ. Κηφισίας 37-39 Τ.Κ. 15123 Μαρούσι,1,Τηλ.: +30 2132510149 9098852, αρμ.: Υπουργός Κλιματικής Κρίσης και Πολιτικής Προστασίας κ. Ευάγγελος Τουρνάς , e-mail :minister@civilprotection.gr
4. 2026/0242/GR - S00E - ENVIRONMENT
5. Draft Regulation on the Fire Protection of Archaeological Sites
6. Fire Protection of Archaeological Sites
7.
8. The purpose of this Regulation is to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework for the implementation and monitoring of fire protection measures and equipment for open-air archaeological sites, with the aim of enhancing the level of fire safety, reducing vulnerability and limiting the spread of potential fires.
To achieve this objective, this Regulation sets out the minimum requirements for the implementation of measures and equipment to ensure the timely notification of the public in the event of a fire, the availability of escape routes and emergency exits, the installation of the necessary signage, the preparation of Organised Evacuation Plans, staff training, vegetation management and the creation of firebreaks, structural fire protection of the envelope of building facilities, the implementation of active fire protection measures, and the inspection and maintenance of fire protection equipment and systems.
Furthermore, the implementation of the Regulation facilitates coordination and strengthens cooperation between the jointly competent government departments and agencies, thereby ensuring a uniform, coordinated and effective response to any threat, as well as their required preparedness and immediate operational response in the event of an incident.
This Regulation, as a specific fire protection regulation for open-air archaeological sites, sets out detailed provisions that supplement the general regulations and provisions on fire protection for open-air areas, such as the Fire Safety Regulation for Properties within or near Forests (Government Gazette, Series II, No 3475), the Fire Safety Regulations for Buildings (Presidential Decree 41/2018, Government Gazette Series I, No 80 and Presidential Decree 71/1988, Government Gazette, Series I, No. 32), Fire Service Decree No 3/2015 (Government Gazette, Series II, No. 529) and Joint Ministerial Decision No ΥΠ 1157/2026 (Government Gazette, Series II, No 2323), and takes precedence over the requirements set out therein.
However, as a specific regulation addressing fire safety requirements, it applies in conjunction with the requirements of other specific regulations governing the safety and functionality of structures or their installations.
This Regulation do not cover cases of arson, sabotage, vandalism, fires resulting from terrorist acts, or other similar acts.
9. 1. Directive (EU) 2015/1535 and Presidential Decree 81/2018
Presidential decree 81/2018 transposes Directive (EU) 2015/1535 into Greek law, which lays down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical regulations and of rules on Information Society services. The purpose of the mechanism is to ensure preventive transparency and to prevent the creation of unjustified barriers to the internal market through national technical regulations.
Pursuant to Article 6 of Presidential Decree 81/2018, Government Departments and Agencies that draft technical regulations are required to notify these to the European Commission through the ELOT Information Centre, which serves as the national contact point.
2. The “standstill period”
In accordance with the general rule laid down in Article 7(1) of Presidential Decree 81/2018, upon notification of a draft technical regulation, its author must postpone its adoption for three months from the date of receipt of the notification by the European Commission. That period is known as the standstill period, that is, a period during which the draft cannot be adopted, in order to allow the Commission and the other Member States to submit comments or a detailed opinion.
3. The “urgency procedure”
By way of exception, Article 7(7) of Presidential Decree 81/2018 provides that the obligations laid down in paragraphs 1 to 5 of the same Article shall not apply when Government Departments and Agencies, for reasons of urgency necessitated by a serious and unforeseeable situation, related, among other things, to security, must draw up technical regulations in a very short period of time in order to adopt them and bring them into force immediately, without any consultations being possible.
This procedure corresponds to the urgency procedure under EU law and, if accepted by the European Commission, results in the three-month standstill period not being applied. The grounds for the urgency must be explicitly stated in the notification and must be such as to preclude any impression of an abusive use of the procedure.
9a. The risk that the Regulation seeks to address is the outbreak or spread of a fire at archaeological sites. This risk is particularly high due to the location of most archaeological sites within or near forested areas or in similar terrain, as well as due to the effects of climate change, which increase the frequency, intensity, and speed of spread of wildfires.
The Regulation contributes in a systematic and consistent manner to the achievement of the objective by establishing a single, coherent and specialised framework for fire risk prevention, preparedness and management. In particular, measures to manage vegetation and create firebreaks reduce the likelihood of a fire breaking out and spreading rapidly, while the provision of adequate and appropriate escape routes and emergency exits, sufficient emergency lighting, clearly visible and appropriate safety signage and evacuation plans, as well as reliable fire alarm and notification systems, enhance visitor safety and enable a more effective response in an emergency. At the same time, the preparation of Organised Evacuation Plans, as well as the conducting of regular drills and staff training, improve operational readiness and reduce response times for fire incidents.
The need for this specific measure stems both from the documented history of fires at archaeological sites and from the experience gained under the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection and the Ministry of Culture over the last five years. Specifically, the implementation of the Memorandum at more than 60 archaeological sites has demonstrated that the existence of preventive protocols and specialised evacuation plans, as well as the implementation of systematic measures (regular inspections, fuel management, staff training, and interoperability between the Fire Service and the Ministry of Culture) significantly enhance operational effectiveness and mitigate risk.
Furthermore, the need to plan and put in place preventive fire protection measures and equipment for cultural heritage sites is supported by international literature and guidelines of international cultural organizations such as UNESCO (https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/fire-risk-management-guide-protecting-cultural-and-natural-heritage-fire).
Consequently, the Regulation serves, in a consistent and systematic manner, the intended public interest objective through a comprehensive approach to fire risk management, covering all stages of prevention, operational preparedness, response and mitigation of its effects, in order to protect human life, cultural heritage, and the natural environment. Furthermore, it constitutes a specialised administrative regulatory tool, specifically tailored to address a particular risk (fire) to archaeological sites, with immediate and measurable results in terms of its contribution to safeguarding the public interest.
9b. Despite the existence of general legislation and regulatory provisions on fire prevention, there is as yet no specific, unified Fire Protection Regulation tailored exclusively to the specific characteristics of archaeological sites (operational and functional characteristics, particularly regarding access, topography, proximity to forested or shrubby areas, the feasibility of technical interventions, the presence or absence of infrastructure, escape routes and the management of large visitor flows) and which takes into account their constraints and cultural value. The Regulation addresses a real and significant regulatory gap, establishes necessary measures, procedures, responsibilities and the competences of all stakeholders, ensuring, with the least possible intervention, the protection of archaeological sites against the risk of fire and their preservation for the benefit of present and future generations.
In particular, it introduces restrictions only insofar as this is necessary to ensure an adequate level of fire protection at open-air archaeological sites and is not expected to result in substantial restrictions on the internal market or on cross-border trade in goods and services. The proposed requirements mainly concern organisational and preventive fire protection measures, which apply regardless of the origin of products, equipment or service providers and do not introduce discrimination or unjustified market barriers.
In assessing the necessity of the Regulation, less restrictive alternatives were considered, such as the adoption of non-binding guidelines, the implementation of voluntary fire safety standards, or addressing the relevant issues on a case-by-case basis through administrative recommendations. These alternatives were deemed inadequate, as they do not ensure a uniform and binding level of protection, nor do they guarantee the consistent application of preventive and operational preparedness measures across all open-air archaeological sites. Furthermore, the absence of mandatory rules could lead to significant discrepancies in safety and preparedness levels among sites of comparable risk.
9c. The protection of the country’s cultural heritage, as a constitutionally enshrined right, takes precedence over any specific restrictions or interventions arising from the application of the Regulation and relating to the use of, access to, and organisation of operations and activities within archaeological sites. The measures provided for in the Regulation are generally of a preventive nature (such as firebreaks, vegetation management, escape routes, signage, lighting, public-address systems, permanent or semi-permanent fire fighting networks, etc.) and do not entail disproportionate or excessive burdens (technical, financial, administrative) in relation to the benefits that can be achieved.
Specifically, measures and actions—the majority of which are low-intensity innature—are being introduced that are necessary and appropriate for achieving the objective and are fully consistent with the principle of proportionality, as set out in Article 25 of the Constitution, while fully complying with the constitutional and legislative obligation to protect cultural heritage, in accordance with Article 24(1) and (6) of the Constitution, read in conjunction with Law 4858/2021 “Ratification of the Code of Legislation for the Protection of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in General”.
The selected measure constitutes the least restrictive intervention for achieving the intended objective, as it is limited to the establishment of minimum mandatory requirements for fire protection and preparedness arrangements, directly linked to the intended objective of protecting human life, cultural heritage and the natural environment, while respecting the principle of proportionality.
Failure to achieve the intended public interest objective—namely, the effective protection of archaeological sites and monuments from the risk of fire— would be incomparably more detrimental than the potential burden that the restrictions of the regulation might entail. A fire spreading through an archaeological site can cause the permanent and irreversible loss of monuments of unique historical, scientific and symbolic value, which cannot be restored or replaced once destroyed.
10. References to basic texts: The basic text does not exist
11. Yes
12. See the attached file in the Supporting Documents.
13. No
14. No
15. No
16.
TBT aspects: No
SPS aspects: No
**********
European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu
