An exhortation to the Provincial Local Government Organizations (PLOs) to publicize and update the approximately 1.300 dangerous buildings, applying the current legislation, was addressed by the Minister of Interior, Konstantinos Ioannou, after his meeting on Wednesday with the president and delegation of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with the Chamber submitting a proposal for the creation of an electronic registry where all dangerous buildings would be posted.
The Ministry of Economy and Trade and the Ministry of Transport and Communications' meeting on dangerous buildings took place in response to the collapse of part of an apartment building in Limassol last Saturday, which claimed the lives of two people.
"I would like to express my sincere condolences to the families of the two victims," the Minister initially said in his statements.
Mr. Ioannou stated that until new legislation is passed, the EOAs are called upon to apply the remedies provided for in the existing Roads and Buildings Law, specifically in articles 15, 15a and 15b.
As he added, a unified procedure was established by the Ministry of Interior last March, which has been communicated to the EOAs, with the requirements that the competent authorities must follow for the management of dangerous buildings.
"The legal and financial responsibility for removing the hazards of buildings lies primarily with their owners," he emphasized.
The Minister stated that the amount of 2 million euros was made available to the EOAs for a period of 2 years, for 2025 and 2026, from which they can draw money, after following all the steps of the unified procedure.
"In cases of immediate need for intervention, exceptionally, the EDAs can take the necessary measures to eliminate the risk without following the institutionalized procedure that takes some time," he noted.
"I therefore urge the provincial self-government organizations to utilize the knowledge and expertise of ETEK members to support the entire effort," added Mr. Ioannou.
He also stressed that the EDAs must prioritize the approximately 1.300 cases that had been identified, depending on the degree of risk.
As the Minister stated, for the most dangerous buildings, the EOAs must proceed with marking and apply Article 15, prohibiting their use, whether for homeownership or rental, until the necessary restoration works are carried out.
Mr. Ioannou noted that in March 2025, the Ministry of Interior, in collaboration with then MP Marinos Mousiouttas and the Interior Committee, promoted a relevant amendment regarding dangerous buildings.
He stated that the aim of the amendment is to strengthen the available tools, with measures such as total or partial demolition, prohibition of use or rental, sealing and the immediate removal of persons.
The Minister emphasized that the Ministry seeks the immediate completion of the discussion and passage of the legislation, which, together with the framework for shared buildings, will strengthen surveillance and contribute to addressing risks to public safety.
In relation to the tragedy in Limassol, Mr. Ioannou stated that a criminal investigation by the Police is underway.
The Minister clarified that the inspection of the 1.300 buildings was carried out by the municipalities and the data was transferred to the EOA, however, they need to be updated.
He added that Article 15B of the relevant legislation allows the EOA to voluntarily proceed with the evacuation of dangerous buildings, with the assistance of the Police.
"We will support the efforts of the EOAs by creating an electronic platform to update all these hundreds of buildings that have been classified as dangerous," said the president of ETEK, Konstantinos Constantis.
"They should be categorized after their status is updated and the EOA should be called to go on site, to place signs. There must be transparency, notification, and public disclosure of all cases," he added.
"The EOA must act with the existing tools they have. The law provides them with other tools so that we can protect the public. Now the indifference of all of us is criminal and we have terrible responsibilities," the president of ETEK concluded.
