Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-10-26

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Candidates for ND leadership on campaign trail

[02] Draft law on fire-ravaged regions of east Attica unveiled

[03] Stocks end 2.01% down

[01] Candidates for ND leadership on campaign trail

Meanwhile, in a related development on Monday, the chairman of the main opposition party's organisational committee for the extraordinary ND conference of Nov. 7, Dimitris Sioufas, announced that the committee had sent the final draft of proposed changes to the party's charter to outgoing party president Costas Karamanlis and the four candidates for ND's presidency.

The changes, which concern the way in which the party president is elected, must be submitted to ND's Central Committee for approval.

Sioufas clarified that the proposal he was presenting to the Central Committee was based entirely on the joint agreement reached by the four candidates during a meeting on October 16 and did not include proposals submitted later by the two candidates Dimitris Avramopoulos and Panagiotis Psomiadis regarding a revision of article 4 of the party's charter.

All four candidates were also sent a copy of the regulations for the Nov. 7 conference, which would also be approved by the Central Committee.

"ND is proceeding in an organised fashion toward the Nov. 7 conference and the elections to choose a new president in a way that ensures its unity and cohesion," Sioufas stressed.

[02] Draft law on fire-ravaged regions of east Attica unveiled

The purpose of the draft legislation is to abolish what the government calls "forest-killing" regulations and to create infrastructure (forestry maps-forest registry) aimed at protecting ecosystems and state land.

The primary measures to be introduced by the proposed bill include a temporary suspension of all construction work, even in areas where building is allowed, and the establishment of a three-member committee on demolitions to eradicate the widespread phenomenon of unauthorised construction in burnt regions.

The draft law also provides the inclusion of all wildfire-ravaged land in the land registry (cadastre) process if not registered yet, and suspends implementation of current regulations for differentiating land as defined as forest from that of 'a forested area'.

The draft law's regulations refer to two time periods: the time until a burnt area is proclaimed destined for reforestation, followed by the period between declaring land destined for reforestation and the ratification of forest maps for the area in question.

Specifically, construction will be suspended in areas where building is currently allowed but are within a region considered under reforestation. The suspension will last until maps of forestland have been finalised.

Exempted from this ban are legally built structures and those with legitimate building licenses issued before the wildfires, following an inspection by the special committee.

A special committee on demolitions will be set up to eradicate the phenomenon of unauthorised building in burnt regions, with technical support from the Hellenic Mapping and Cadastral Organisation (OKXE). Moreover, land registry procedures will begin at once in the regions that have not been registered with OKXE yet and a forest map will be drawn up immediately.

The draft law also provides for the suspension of section 3, paragraph 1, article 1, of Law No 3208/2003 that defines the criteria based on which an area is characterized as a forest or forest land.

[03] Stocks end 2.01% down

Most sectors moved downwards, with the exception of the Chemicals sector which ended 0.51 pct higher. Insurance (4.62 pct), Media (3.48 pct), Commerce (2.98 pct), Technology (2.98 pct) and Banks (2.78 pct) suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day.

The FTSE 20 index fell 2.22 pct, the FTSE 40 index ended 1.95 pct lower and the FTSE 80 index fell 1.52 pct. Broadly, decliners led advancers by 159 to 45 with another 46 issues unchanged.

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