Ikaria Municipality proposes legislative changes for forest land ownership

The Municipality of Ikaria has presented a legislative proposal and explanatory memorandum in Athens to secure the institutional protection of its municipal property. The initiative seeks formal recognition of forest lands as municipal property and the repeal of a 2021 provision.

The proposal aims to restore the full force of Article 62 of Law 998/1979, which requires the State to provide civil code ownership titles rather than relying solely on forest status as proof of ownership. The municipality’s position is supported by a Supreme Court decision (567/2020) stating that forest character alone does not establish State rights, and by the historical legal status of Ikaria, which suggests the State never acquired land rights on the island.