30 Oct 2026
Off-plan building rights remain uncertain as Greece offers no timeline for road recognition
- RE+D Magazine
Uncertainty surrounding the buildability of properties located outside designated urban planning zones is set to persist, as the Ministry of Environment and Energy has provided no timeline for the formal recognition of public roads, nor has it committed to an interim legislative solution to address outstanding issues affecting the issuance of building permits.
This emerges from the official response issued by Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy Maria-Eleni Soukouli-Viliali to a parliamentary question submitted by Chania MP Alexandros Markogiannakis concerning the procedures for recognising the road network in areas outside urban planning zones.
In its response, dated 27 October 2026, the Ministry links the formal ratification of the road network to the completion of the nationwide recording of existing roads and the subsequent issuance of the relevant Presidential Decree.
According to the Ministry of Environment and Energy, a study to record the existing road network is currently underway, with the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE) acting as the contracting authority, based on the technical specifications established in 2022.
The recording process is being carried out at Municipal Unit level and covers areas outside city plans and beyond the boundaries of settlements defined by the relevant ministerial decision.
The subsequent Presidential Decree is expected to establish the criteria for classifying roads, the procedure for the overall ratification of the road network, as well as the competent authority and the requirements for recognising municipal roads before the completion of the overall ratification process.
The latter provision is particularly significant, as it creates an institutional framework allowing municipal roads to be recognised before the nationwide process has been completed.
The Ministry clarifies that the overall ratification process can only take place once the nationwide recording exercise has been completed and the relevant Presidential Decree has been issued.
At the same time, it points to the mandatory preventive legality review by the Council of State, noting that it is not possible to provide a reliable estimate of when the review and subsequent issuance of the Decree will be completed.
No Specific Commitment on an Interim Legislative Arrangement
The parliamentary question also raised the issue of introducing transitional measures to address the problems arising from the application of Council of State case law concerning the requirement for plots of land outside urban planning zones to have frontage on a legally established public road.
The Ministry merely stated that it monitors the implementation of the institutional framework and proceeds with legislative interventions whenever deemed necessary, referring in general terms to the legislative initiatives it undertakes.
However, it did not clarify whether a specific transitional arrangement is being considered to address the issue of public roads, nor did it provide details regarding the potential scope or timing of any legislative intervention.