GENERAL INFORMATION

The core rules of the environmental protection are grouped in the Article 24 of the Greek Constitution. There are two basic pieces of the national environmental legislation specifying these constitutional rules: the law 1650/1986 on the protection of the natural environment and the law 998/1979 on the protection of forests and forest expanses. These two basic laws have been amended in many aspects especially in the period 2008-2012, in order to enable possible investments. Law 3937/2011 on the protection of  biodiversity foresees the ability of building outside the cityplan and under certain preconditions inside the NATURA 2000 network areas. Law 3982/2011 provides the establishment of business parks. Law 3983/2011 regulates the framework of protection and management of the marine environment and Law 3986/2011 regulates the management of public property. Law 4014/2011 provides the new and quite transparent framework of environmental licensing of projects and activities, though it became popular through the provisions of legalizing illegal constructions for 40 years after the payment of a respective fee to the State.

Almost all above mentioned Laws followed the provisions of Law 3894/2010 regarding the realization of the so called “strategic investments”, investments considered to create cash flow and work places. In fact Law 3894/2010 allows legalization procedures on ministerial niveau, building on the sea coast, several divergences from the urban planning framework and state expropriation without full compensation.

EXAMPLES

Article 3 of law 4042/2012, par. F) provides that "killing, destruction, holding or capturing protected species of wild flora or fauna" are prohibited.
 

Article 94 of l. 3852/2010 (Kallikratis) provides as additional competence of municipalities the managing of pastures.

Article 8 and 9 of Presidential Decree 148/2009 provides that "in case of imminent threat of environmental damage, the competent authority may at any time give written orders and instructions to the operator concerning the necessary preventive or remedial measures, that necessarily must be taken".

Article 10 of Law. 4014/2011 describes the project permitting process and activities in areas which have been included in the Natura 2000 network and the content of the corresponding assessments.