08-03-2010: “City Council passes resolution to limit music played by entertainment venues”

Athens City Council today approved a
resolution that restricts the time period during which entertainment venues can
offer music entertainment. During its meeting, the majority of City Council
approved a decision to reduce by two hours the period during which music can be
played at establishments of sanitary interest, following the resumption of
Municipal Committee deliberations (Commercial Establishment and Entertainment Permit
Department).

In accordance with the resolution, the
music license issued to venues will remain valid until December 21, 2010, and
only be provided to indoor venues and not to venues with outdoor areas.

More specifically, during the winter
season, the period during which music can be played is as follows:

• Sunday - Thursday until 11pm
• Friday, Saturday, Public Holidays and the eve of Public
  Holidays until 1am

During the summer season, the period
during which music can be played is as follows:

• Sunday - Thursday until midnight
• Friday, Saturday, Public Holidays and the eve of Public
  Holidays until 2am

Municipal Committee chairman Vassilis Koromantzos
told City Council that the City of Athens
seeks to ensure the harmonious coexistence of venue operators and city
residents. He said that no venue could oblige any reside to leave, but that
venues which do pose a nuisance would be obliged to close down. Therefore, the
City of Athens will
carry out inspections in order to achieve the desired result. The Commercial
Establishment and Entertainment Permit Department and Athens Municipal Police
will play a significant role, particularly the latter as they will be equipped
with echometers. In the past three weeks, Athens Municipal Police officers have
carried out 450 inspections while 140 suits have been filed for violation of
the set time period. More specifically:

Revocation
of music venue license

In the case that a suit has been
filed for noise pollution, certified by an echometer, the Commercial Establishment
and Entertainment Permit Department submits notice of a final revocation of the
venue's music license to the Municipal Committee. Additionally, when two suits
for exceeding the allowable time period for the playing of music are forwarded
to the competent Department, the Department submits notice of a final
revocation of the venue's music license.

Temporary
suspension of venue's operating license

Additionally, approval was given to
the conditions required for the temporary suspension of a venue's operating
license. Based on this, when three suits have been filed by the
Municipal Police or the Consumer Protection and Sanitary Inspection Department
for disturbing the peace, violation of operating hours, exceeding the time
period for the playing of musical instruments, exceeding decibel levels or
failure to possess a license for the playing of musical instruments, the venue
is sealed within a period of 12 months and its operating license temporarily
suspended for 10 to 60 days, in accordance with presidential decree 180/79.

Permanent Revocation
of venue operating license

In
the case that a venue has been sealed and a suit is forwarded to the Commercial
Establishment and Entertainment Permit Department for violation of the seal and
illegal operation, the department submits notice of a final revocation of the
venue's operating license, in accordance with presidential decree 180/79.

When
a venue has been sealed on three occasions and a suit is filed to the
department, after the third unsealing of the venue, the department submits
notice to the Municipal Committee for the permanent revocation of the venue's
operating license, in accordance with presidential decree 180/79.

Revocation of musical instrument
performance license

In the case that the Commercial Establishment and Entertainment Permit
Department receives a suit from the Consumer Protection and Sanitary Inspection
Department concerning the modification of the license for musical instrument
performance, the department submits notice of the revocation of the musical
instrument performance license to the Municipal Committee.