Causing forest fires will now be punishable by severe out-of-court fines and court penalties, under legislation passed by the House on Thursday evening.

By a wide majority, parliament passed a package of six bills, providing in some cases for out-of-court fines of up to €25,000 – something which certain MPs complained was too high.

The legislation regulates activity in rural areas, such as when and where it is permitted to light a fire and under what circumstances. It also regulates what type of machinery may be used in such areas.

The severity of the penalties aims to act as a deterrent.

Local authorities may impose out-of-court fines on persons for having caused a fire, or risked causing a fire.

There are separate penalties for the two types of offences.

As for the courts, after a person has been convicted, they may hand down monetary penalties equivalent to the amount spent in extinguishing the fire or equivalent to what needs to be spent to restore the damage to the environment.

In a post on X later, Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou welcomed the new legislation, saying it “shows the way to a new era in terms of protecting our forests”.