New Building Framework for Villages Under 2,000 Residents – What the Environment Ministry’s Amendment Proposes

The Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy (ΥΠΕΝ) is moving forward with a complete overhaul of building regulations for small settlements across the country. This initiative aims to address uncertainty affecting thousands of property owners following annulment decisions by the Council of State that had canceled significant parts of the previous regulatory framework. A new amendment submitted to Parliament redefines the building conditions for areas with populations under 2,000 residents. The reform categorizes settlements into two groups based on population size. For villages with up to 700 inhabitants, the old framework returns with minor modifications. Land plots ranging from 500 to 2,000 square meters remain developable, provided they have a minimum frontage of 10 meters on a public road and maintain at least a 5-meter distance from it. However, these areas now require special justification through an urban planning study approved by Presidential Decree. In the second category, which includes settlements with populations between 701 and 2,000, stricter criteria apply. Here, construction outside urban plans becomes possible again, but only if the land meets a minimum area of 2,000 to 4,000 square meters and has a frontage of at least 15 meters on an approved road. This provision applies exclusively in zones classified as ‘special use areas’ (ΠΕΧ), with final approval subject to reasoned decision by the Ministry. Importantly, the rights of property owners who already hold valid permits or fall under existing Presidential Decrees defining settlement boundaries are protected, as long as they meet minimum frontage and distance requirements. This measure aims to safeguard properties that risked devaluation due to legal ambiguity. The new legislative framework arrives at a critical time, requiring the Ministry to balance respect for judicial decisions with the realities of rural Greece, where many communities lack modern town-planning schemes. According to official sources, these provisions affect more than 90% of settlements under 2,000 residents and are expected to provide significant relief to property owners and engineers, while supporting regional development.