FIRE ENGINES FOR DISASTER PREVENTION IN GREECE

The project will finance the acquisition of 175 fire fighting vehicles to be used by the Hellenic Fire Service. This is a sub-operation under project 2020-0182 - COVID19 DISASTER PREVENTION & CLIMATE ADAPTATION Framework Loan.

The aim is to improve firefighting capacity of the local Hellenic Fire Corps Services, in particular forest firefighting. This is complying with the EC Green Deal and EU forest strategy for 2030. The purchase of firefighting vehicles is contemplated in the EIB Climate Bank Roadmap and Transport Lending Policy indicating transport mobile assets (or components thereof) where there is an overriding public interest (environmental, safety and security) or crisis response are eligible for financing.

EIB's financing of a climate action project in Greece will support the General Secretariat for Civil Protection (GSCP) to purchase and deploy 175 fire fighting vehicles along with the associated equipment. The loan will significantly improve the emergency response capacity and capabilities of the fire service, allowing for a more rapid and efficient intervention, and preventing human and economic losses. Firefighting vehicles and equipment assigned to the Hellenic Fire Service will be used in forest and urban firefighting activities as well as providing assistance to other services for other incidences, such as traffic accidents. The Project is eligible under Article 309 point (a) projects for developing less-developed regions and point (c) common interest under natural resource use, management and protection. About 80% of project components are eligible under Climate Change - Adaptation.

The Project concerns adding capacity and improving operational efficiency in disaster response, environmental protection and civilian security, all of which are of overriding public interest. These sectors exhibit public good properties or may reduce negative externalities so that the market would fail to supply them at the socially required level of service. The Project therefore helps correcting a market failure.

Availability of EIB funding will enable the GSCP to acquire the fleet, potentially crowding in other lenders and facilitating implementation of the national civil protection programme in time to achieve the anticipated project results. The long tenor and flexible terms of the EIB loan brings strong additionality to a suboptimal investment situation arising from insufficient offering by commercial banks.

The EIB's financial contribution for the realisation of this project is deemed significant, as the Bank provides more advantageous terms (longer tenor, availability, grace period, competitive interest rates etc.) vis-à-vis most lenders in the Greek market, and has a crowding-in effect, thus allowing the Greek State to complement and diversify its funding sources.

The acquisition of firefighting vehicles and associated equipment does not fall under Annex I or II or the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive 2011/92/EU as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU. The project aims at improving firefighting capacity of the local Hellenic Fire Corps Services, in particular forest firefighting. Increased incidence of forest fires is understood to be a consequence of Climate Change. The project would therefore be in principle eligible under Climate Action - Adaptation. The contribution to Climate Action will be determined during appraisal. The requirements of social standards will also be verified during appraisal.

The EIB will require the promoter to ensure that contracts for implementation of the project have been and will be tendered in accordance with the applicable EU procurement legislation, Directive 2014/24/EU as well as Directive 92/13/EEC or Directive 89/665/EEC as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the EU, with publication of tender notices in the EU Official Journal, as and where required.