Clarifications on the institutional framework and the Organization’s actions for cutting trees and cleaning areas along the railway network are provided by OSE against the backdrop of relevant publications and reports in the media.
In particular, commenting on the news reported by the media that “there was never a request from OSE to clear vegetation and cut down trees”, OSE stresses that: “Regarding, in a provision of Law 998/79 on theprotection of forests and woodlands” and in particular in Article 24 it is provided that: “1. Railway services must regularly ensure that the area within forests or forest areas through which railway trains pass is cleaned and that trees, shrubs, brambles, dry grass, etc., growing or found there, are cut and harvested in a timely manner. However, it is noted in the same article that rail services mustfully comply with the instructions of the forest service’.”
The Organization also recalls that YA 12030/F.109.1/1999 (Government Gazette B’ 713/1999) states that “b. The OSE shall implement a program of vegetation clearance and planting of relatively non-flammable forest species on lands along and at a reasonable distance on both sides of the railway axis. in cooperation with the Regional Services of the Forest Service».
“From the wording of these two legislative provisions it is clear that prior consultation between the OSE and the local Forestry Service is necessary, which can only be done in writing, upon pertinent request from the Organization”, the statement highlights.
“The OSE, over time, strictly complies with the procedure in accordance with the aforementioned legal framework, sending the prescribed applications and receiving the respective Approvals of incomplete records, as well as administrative decisions with reduction terms and conditionsof the Forestry Services.
The following is also noted in these decisions: 1. That the decisionhas a logging license’ and 2. That’in case of non-compliance with these conditions, the service will revoke the approval decision and the provisions of the Forestry Legislation will apply as applicable (legal action, confiscation, administrative fine, violation of the RSI)” is added.
“All of the above refers to forests and woodlands. However, there are also areas close to railway lines that are within the approved landscape plans, where dense vegetation and trees are observed.. The process of cutting down these trees again requires the issuance of a license from the competent urban planning authorities. in accordance with article 40, paragraph 2 of Law 1,337/1983”, highlights the Organization, adding that “sfully complying with the OSE, systematically requests the issuance of such licenses to the relevant Urban Authorities which, in response, issue the relevant decisions.
For the collision of a train with a tree trunk in Sfendali
In particular, with regard to the collision of a train with a tree trunk in Sfendali, OSE underlines the following: “(a) that it is not always possible to identify risks arising from natural phenomena (e.g. falling tree trunks), especially in inaccessible areas such as this one in Sfendalis, and (b) that in addition, OSE has an ongoing contract with “Sidirodromika Erga ATE” for the year 2024 for the felling of those trees in the wider area of Sfendalis that are most dangerous due to the distance of less than 10 meters from the railway lines. Since it is not a question of cutting down thousands of trees, the contract is still ongoing. Finally, because these trees are burnt, OSE did not need to request authorisation from the competent forestry service.”
Work carried out by OSE to cut down trees that put railway operations at risk
According to the notice, “despite the lack of long-term resources, only for the year 2023 the OSE ordered 12 contracts at critical points in the total value chain 685,966.37 euros. For 2024, within the framework of a state subsidy of 45 million euros, it has ordered 20 contracts with a total value of 1,157,838.29 euros pending the award of two open international tenders for the clearing and felling of trees near railway lines with a total value of 4,958,475.03 euros for the 2025-2026 biennium”.
Extraordinary initiatives to strengthen the weeding and tree cutting project
As recently announced, the Organization is proceeding with the creation of a new Greenery and Environment Directorate that will have as its objective the planning, procedures and implementation of projects to clean native vegetation and cut trees along the entire railway network of the country, as well as the reduction of the Organization’s environmental footprint.
Based on the above the president of OSE, Yannos Grammatidis emphasized that: “it is now clear that OSE’s cooperation with the Forest Service and the Urban Planning Service in this specific matter is required by law and this also explains my statement that I would never risk OSE personnel ending up in the open by sending them into the field without Forest Service authorization.”
“The Organization has planned and will already propose the establishment of an independent and overriding right of the OSE to cut trees both within the expropriated railway corridors on both sides of the lines and outside them, that is, also in areas regardless of public or private use or forestry restrictions and always along its active, suspended and abolished network, for reasons of not obstructing public transport, safety of the traveling public, avoiding fires and pollution of the environment” highlighted Mr. Grammatidis to conclude: “This is how the OSE Administration understands the concept of serving the safety of railway transport and the public interest, with tangible projects, of immediate implementation”.