The government has submitted to Parliament a comprehensive urban planning code that consolidates decades of fragmented legislation into a single legal text.
The code brings together provisions scattered across 119 laws and 53 presidential decrees – the oldest dating to 1923 – into 447 articles spanning 741 pages. It introduces no new regulations but eliminates conflicting interpretations that have long allowed irregular construction permits to be issued.
One notable clarification addresses out-of-plan construction, where some municipal planning offices have issued permits for landlocked plots lacking road frontage. The code explicitly requires a minimum 4,000 square meters and 25-meter frontage on a public road, with no time-based exceptions.
“The codification will make legislation more transparent, while eliminating conflicting provisions and limiting arbitrary interpretations,” said Konstantinos Menoudakos, honorary president of the Council of State, who chaired the drafting committee. A previous codification attempt in 1999 was never ratified by Parliament and was gradually abandoned.
CONSTRUCTION LEGISLATION ENVIRONMENT ECONOMY HOUSING CRISIS
