Environmental legislation
Basic legislation and other regulatory decisions related to the environmental permitting of exploration and exploitation activities
| English title | Remarks/Reference document or link |
| L.4014/2011 (GG A’209)
On the environmental licensing of projects and activities and other provisions” as amended and valid. Most recent amendments by L.4635/2019 (Art. 15), L.4685/2020 and L.4819/2021. |
L.4014/2011 induced some innovations compared to previous legislation such as:
https://elinyae.gr/ethniki-nomothesia/n-40142011-fek-209a-2192011-0 |
| L.4635/2019 (GG A’167)
Invest in Greece and other provisions. |
Art. 15 of L.4635/2019 amends Art. 4, 6, 16 and 18 of L.4014/2011.
https://www.elinyae.gr/ethniki-nomothesia/n-46352019-fek-167a-30102019 |
| L.4685/2020 (GG A’92)
Modernization of the environmental legislation, transposition of Directives 2018/844 and 2019/692 of the European Parliament and Council in the Greek Law and other provisions, as amended. Last amendment by L.4951/2022. |
PART A (Art. 1-9) amends L.4014/2011 and simplifies the environmental permitting procedures.
https://www.elinyae.gr/ethniki-nomothesia/n-46852020-fek-92a-752020 |
| L.4819/2021 (GG A’129)
Integrated framework for waste management – Transposition of the Directives 2018/851 and 2018/852 of the European Parliament and Council, organizational framework of the Hellenic Recycling Agency, provisions for plastic products and for the protection of the natural environment, energy, and related urgent provisions |
Art. 116 and 154 of L.4819/2021 amended Art. 13 of L.4014/2011 and Art. 68 of L.4512/2018 respectively.
https://www.elinyae.gr/ethniki-nomothesia/n-48192021-fek-129a-2372021 |
| L.3028/2002 (GG A’153)
Protection of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in general |
According to Art.10 of L.3028/2002 the exploitation of quarries, the exploration and exploitation of Metallic Minerals or Ores and the delineation of Quarrying Areas for aggregates extraction are not allowed without prior approval by the Minister of Culture and Sports |
| MD37674/2016 (GG B’2471)
Amendment and codification of the MD 1958/2012–Classification of public and private projects and activities into categories and subcategories, pursuant to Art. 1, par. 4 of L. 4014/2011, as amended by MD 2307/2018 (GG B’439) and MD 17185/2022 (GG B’ 841). |
It describes the classification of projects/activities and divides them into groups and categories according to their environmental impact. Group 5 of Annex V “Extractive and related activities” is subdivided into subcategories A1 and A2, whilst some exploration activities fall into Category B.https://www.elinyae.gr/ethniki-nomothesia/ya-dipaoik-376742016-fek-2471b-1082016 |
| MD167563/2013 (GG B’964)
Specification of procedures and criteria for the environmental permitting of projects and activities of Art. 3,4,5,6 and 7 of L. 4014/2011, pursuant to Art.2, par.13 of this Law, as amended by JMD1915/2018 (GG B’304). |
Specifies the procedures and criteria for the environmental permitting of category A projects and activities.
https://elinyae.gr/ethniki-nomothesia/ya-oik-167563eype2013-fek-964b-1942013 |
| MD170225/2014 (GG B’135)
Specialization of the contents of environmental permitting files for Category A projects and activities of the decision of the Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change with no. 1958/2012 (21/B) as applicable, in accordance with Art. 11 of L.4014/2011 as well as any other relevant detail. Amended by JMD1915/2018. |
Annex 4.5 of this decision concerns projects and activities of Group V “Extractive activities”. It specifies, along with Annexes 2 and 3 the contents of the Environmental Impacts Assessment (EIA) study. The latter is a prerequisite for the issuance of the Environmental Terms Approval Decision (AEPO) and the environmental permitting of Category A projects and activities.
https://elinyae.gr/ethniki-nomothesia/ya-oik-1702252014-fek-135b-2712014 |
| MD46294/2013 (GG B’2001)
Standard Environmental Commitments (SEC) regarding projects and activities of Category B of Group 5 of MD1958/2012 (GG B’21), as amended and valid. |
https://elinyae.gr/ethniki-nomothesia/ya-462942013-fek-2001b-1482013 |
| JMD1915/2018 (GG B’304)
Amendment of JMD48963/2012 (GG Β΄2703), JMD167563/2013 (GG Β΄964) and of MD170225/2014 (GG Β΄135). |
https://www.elinyae.gr/ethniki-nomothesia/ya-oik-19152018-fek-304b-222018 |
| JMD1649/2014 (GG B’45)
Specification of advisory procedures and public consultation during environmental permitting of Category A projects and activities, as set in the MD1958/2012 pursuant to Art. 19, paragraph 9 of L.4014/2011 as amended. |
https://www.elinyae.gr/ethniki-nomothesia/ya-oik-1649452014-fek-45b-1412014 |
| JMD39624/2009 (GG B’2076)
on measures, conditions, and limitations for the management of waste from extractive industries, in compliance with Directive 2006/21/EC on the management of waste from extractive industries, as well as decisions of the European Council 2009/337/ΕΚ (Ε102/7/22.4.2009), 2009/359/ΕΚ (Ε 110/46/1.5.2009) and 2009/360/ΕΚ (Ε 110/48/1.5.2009). |
https://www.elinyae.gr/ethniki-nomothesia/ya-396242209e1032009-fek-2076b-2592009 |
| JMD107017/2006 (GG B’1225)
Environmental impacts assessment of certain plans and programmes, in compliance with Directive 2001/42/ as amended by MD 40238/2017 and MD 38181/2695/2022. |
It concerns the assessment of the environmental impacts of a plan or programme. It is performed for any specific plan or programme that may cause significant environmental impacts on a national, regional, or local scale, prior to the approval of this plan or programme.
https://www.elinyae.gr/ethniki-nomothesia/ya-ypehodeeypeoik-1070172006-fek-1225b-592006 |