The Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy is moving forward with a complete overhaul of building regulations in smaller settlements across the country, aiming to resolve long-standing uncertainties affecting thousands of property owners. A new amendment submitted to Parliament redefines the construction framework for areas with populations under 2,000 residents, following annulment decisions by the Council of State that had invalidated much of the previous regulatory regime.
The new framework categorizes settlements into two groups based on population size. The first category includes settlements with up to 700 residents, where the former rules largely return with some modifications. Land plots ranging from 500 to 2,000 square meters remain classified as buildable, provided they have at least 10 meters of frontage on a public road and maintain a minimum distance of five meters from it. However, to be considered suitable for development, these areas now require specific justification through an urban planning study approved by Presidential Decree.
The second category covers settlements with populations between 701 and 2,000 inhabitants, introducing stricter criteria. Here, the possibility of construction outside designated plans returns, but only if the plot has a minimum area of 2,000 to 4,000 square meters and a frontage of at least 15 meters on an approved road. This option is limited to properties located in areas classified as ‘special use zones’ (ΠΕΧ), with the final decision made at the discretion of the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
Importantly, the rights of property owners who already hold legal permits or fall under existing Presidential Decrees defining settlement boundaries are safeguarded—provided they meet minimum frontage and distance requirements. This measure aims to protect citizens whose properties risked devaluation due to planning ambiguities.
The new legislative framework arrives at a time when the Ministry must balance respect for Council of State rulings with the practical realities of rural Greece, where many settlements lack modern urban planning schemes. According to official sources, the changes apply to over 90% of Greek settlements with fewer than 2,000 residents and are expected to provide significant relief to property owners and engineers while boosting regional development prospects.