Today, Thursday, June 4, the Ministry of Environment and Energy introduces to the Plenary Session of Parliament for debate and ratification the new Code of Town Planning and Urban Planning, an extensive legislative project of 447 articles that aims to update, codify and systematize existing legislation into a single and coherent text.
Questions and answers on the Ministry of Environment and Energy’s Zoning and Urban Planning Code
1. What is the Town and Country Planning Code?
It is the result of the gathering, systematization and consolidation of all the current zoning and planning legislation in a Code, in order to facilitate the Administration and citizens in the correct and rapid knowledge and application of this legislation. It is a piece of legislation consisting of a Table of Contents, 477 articles of general spatial and urban planning legislation and an Annex of Codifying and Codifying Provisions.
2. To whom does the Zoning and Planning Code apply?
The Planning and Zoning Code applies to essentially everyone who lives, works or uses space in their daily lives. That is, residents, professionals, investors, service users, but also bodies such as municipalities, environmental organisations, professional associations and businesses. Simply put, the rules on how space is organised and used directly affect those who enforce the law and indirectly affect all citizens.
3. What problem does the Code solve?
The Code was created to bring order to the hitherto complex and often chaotic framework of planning and zoning law.
For years, the relevant rules were scattered in many different pieces of legislation, with constant amendments, overlaps and ambiguities. This resulted in different interpretations and uneven application of the law, as well as long delays for citizens, professionals and services.
The Code brings together and organises all this legislation into a single and more understandable framework, in simpler language, so that the rules can be applied uniformly, with greater clarity, speed and certainty for all.
4. What is the aim of the codification?
The aim of codification is to make land use and planning legislation clearer, easily and freely accessible and its application uniform for all.
Specifically, the Code seeks to:
– Strengthen legal certainty so that the rules are applied in a clear and stable manner.
– To make it easier for citizens and professionals to search for and understand the law.
– To make it easier for citizens and professionals to search for and understand the law.
– To reduce bureaucracy and delays.
– To reduce red tape and delays.
– To ensure that the same rules are applied in a uniform manner across the country.
– To ensure that the same rules are applied in a uniform manner across the country.
– As a consequence of the above, reduce disputes, different interpretations and cases ending up in court.
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5. How many pieces of legislation does the Code codify?
The Code includes provisions of 122 laws, 29 presidential decrees, 15 legislative decrees, 4 royal decrees, 3 compulsory laws, 7 ministerial decisions, 1 legislative act, i.e. a total of 181 pieces of legislation, up to 103 years old.
6. When did the drafting of the Code begin and how long did it take?
The compilation of the Code began in July 2020 and was completed in 2026, following a multi-year process of collecting, processing and systematizing land use and planning legislation.
7. What is its differentiation from the Basic Planning Law Code (BPC)?
The 1999 Code of Basic Planning Legislation was an initial attempt to bring together the then existing legislation, but was never updated. It contained provisions that were in force until 1997 and, with the constant changes that followed in the following years, it quickly became outdated and lost its practical value.
In addition, subsequent amendments to the legislation were made outside the Code itself, again creating fragmentation and confusion. As a result, the 1999 codification gradually became unworkable.
The new Code is different because it was designed as a constantly updated and “living” legislative tool. Every new change in land use and planning legislation will now be incorporated directly into it, so that it remains constantly up-to-date, uniform and functional. This will ensure the coherence of legislation and avoid the repetition of old fragmentation.
8. Does the Code introduce new law, change existing provisions?
The Code includes the existing provisions of laws and regulations relating to zoning and planning legislation. In other words, it does not introduce new regulations, but includes a codification of what is already in force.
9. Which legislative provisions have been incorporated into the Code?
The new Code brings together in a single text almost all of the general planning and zoning legislation under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
It covers the whole spectrum of spatial and urban planning: From spatial planning, urban redevelopment and the implementation of urban plans, to building and use rules, the framework for issuing permits, dealing with arbitrary building and building overruns, dangerous buildings, as well as issues of urban policy, sectoral national strategies and the functioning of collective bodies.
With its 477 articles and systematic organization of the material, it is now a complete and unified reference for the technical and legal world.
On the contrary, the Code does not include specific legislation such as Industrial Areas (I.I.A.), tourism enterprises, NCHASE, NCHAADA, etc. These regulations remain embedded in their specific legislative frameworks in order to maintain their consistency and correct interpretation. Separating them from their wider regulatory context would create interpretative problems and gaps in individual pieces of legislation, such as those relating to tourist ports, business parks and other specific forms of development.
10. Does the codification include city plans, urban planning studies or circulars;
Individual regulatory or general individual acts (individual city plans or urban planning studies) have not been included in the codification because they are not general but locally applicable. These acts will also continue to apply after the ratification of the Code, not only as regards their individual part (drawing of building and town-planning lines), but also as regards their regulatory part (building conditions and land use of individual areas). Furthermore, the Code does not contain any circular instructions. In any case, the circular instructions relating to the provisions codified in it remain valid and applicable.
11. Are provisions that have been declared unconstitutional codified;
No provisions that have been declared unconstitutional are codified, but provisions whose constitutionality may be in doubt are included in the Code, provided that the issue has not been definitively decided by a court decision.
12. How do I identify which article a provision has been codified in?
A chronological table is included at the end of the Code in an Appendix which includes in the first column the codified provisions of the legislation in chronological order and in the second column the codifying provisions. From this table it is easy to identify the article in which a regulation was codified.
13. Which provisions are repealed by the Code?
From the entry into force of the Code, the codified provisions contained in Annex A and in particular in the table mapping codified provisions to codified provisions accompanying the Code are repealed. In summary, the codified provisions are repealed and are now part of the Code. What is not codified is not repealed.
14. When does the Code come into force? Will there be a transitional period during which the Code will apply alongside other legislation?
The Code will come into force from the date of its publication in a gazette. There is no transitional period of parallel validity of the Code and the legislation it codifies. However, the provisions that are not codified in the Code, e.g. because of their specific nature, will be in parallel with the Code’s validity.
15. How can I search for terms within the Code?
Searching for terms is now extremely easy, as the provisions from 181 pieces of legislation are brought together in a single file.
16. Will the new Code be accessible to every citizen;
Citizens will have free and immediate access to the Code from its publication. The text will be available through the website of the National Printing House, by searching by the number of the Official Gazette, but especially through the new electronic legal database of the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
For the first time, a modern, constantly updated digital database of spatial and urban planning legislation is being created, which will bring together in one place the entire current framework. The database will function as an easy-to-use and interactive search tool, with fast navigation and direct access to the applicable provisions.
Each new legislative change will be incorporated directly into the Code, so that citizens, engineers, lawyers, investors and public authorities will always have access to the current and up-to-date text.
17. How was the Code drafted?
The Code was drafted by a special committee with members of renowned authority in the field of planning and zoning law. In particular, Kostas Menoudakos, honorary president of the CoE, acted as chairman of the committee, while the committee included officials of the CoE and the NCC, university professors, lawyers, scientists specialized in spatial planning and urban planning and heads of directorates of the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
The contribution of the political leadership of the Ministry of Environment and Energy in the promotion and completion of the project, from 2019 to date, has also been significant. Particular mention should be made of the late Nikos Tagaras, Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy with responsibility for Planning and Urban Development, who provided decisive, consistent and personal support to the codification effort, contributing substantially to the promotion and implementation of this project.
