About this Episode
In this episode of Greek News in English, Luca and Lane explore Greece's urgent challenge regarding elevator certification deadlines set for June 2025. They discuss how thousands of apartment buildings risk losing functional elevators or facing heavy fines due to bureaucratic obstacles, lack of official data on elevators' numbers and conditions, limited inspection capacity, inactive electronic registries, and absence of government subsidies for costly upgrades. The hosts highlight calls from federations representing property owners and technicians urging deadline extensions and realistic implementation plans amid administrative shortcomings. This episode sheds light on regulatory enforcement gaps impacting public safety infrastructure across Greece.
Article Discussed: "Τέλος χρόνου για τα ασανσέρ: Κίνδυνος για βαριά πρόστιμα - Στο τραπέζι νέα παράταση - Dnews"
Author: Newsroom
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Episode Transcript
Luca: Welcome to Greek News in English! Today we're diving into a pressing issue affecting thousands of apartment buildings across Greece: the looming deadline for elevator certification and the risk of hefty fines for non-compliance.
Lane: That's right, Luca. The government requires all elevators—both public and private—to be fully registered, inspected, and officially certified by June 30, 2025. But as we'll discuss, there are significant challenges making this difficult to achieve on time.
Luca: So let's break down what's happening. According to the current Joint Ministerial Decision from 2008, every elevator must undergo a thorough check and certification process by mid-2025. Yet, even officials admit that the state lacks basic data like how many elevators are actually in operation or their age and ownership details.
Lane: Exactly. The nationwide federations representing property owners and elevator technicians have pointed out that the government doesn't even have reliable estimates on these key factors. This lack of information hampers any meaningful safety policy implementation.
Luca: And it gets trickier. The bureaucratic registration process has discouraged most owners from complying so far. Few elevators have been certified because apartment managers struggle with both the cost and complexity—especially since there's no state financial aid or subsidies to help with this burden.
Lane: Adding to that, only 17 accredited organizations are authorized to carry out inspections, with strict limits on how many can be done daily. Plus, the electronic Unified Elevator Registry established in 2022 as a monitoring tool remains inactive.
Luca: Given these hurdles, the federations are urging the government to reconsider the timeline. They suggest extending the deadline by at least six months, activating the registry with simplified registration procedures by year-end 2025, and issuing a new ministerial decision that realistically accounts for each elevator's age and condition.
Lane: Most importantly, they emphasize the need for a state-funded subsidy program to support necessary technical upgrades. Without this financial backing, it's unlikely that building managers can convince residents to approve costly compliance measures during general assemblies.
Luca: To sum up then: thousands of elevators face shutdowns or heavy fines due to incomplete certification amidst governmental administrative shortcomings. The state's inability to enforce its own law effectively is placing undue pressure on citizens and professionals alike.
Lane: Yes, Luca. If immediate support doesn't come from authorities, costs will inevitably fall on residents while penalties might be unfairly imposed due to systemic delays beyond their control. It's a complex situation highlighting gaps between regulation intent and practical enforcement.
Luca: Absolutely. This story underscores how critical it is for governments to equip themselves adequately before imposing stringent deadlines on infrastructure safety measures—especially those affecting everyday life like elevators in apartment buildings.
Lane: Thanks for joining us in this episode of Greek News in English where we unpacked this important issue about elevator certifications in Greece. Stay tuned for more deep dives into topics shaping our communities!
About Greek News in English
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