At the recent conference of the Hellenic Green Building Council, Efthymios Bakogiannis, General Secretary for Spatial Planning and Urban Environment, announced that Greece is preparing to introduce a completely overhauled Building Code (NOK)—a significant departure from the current 2012 version, which he described as outdated and no longer fit for purpose.
The new Building Code, expected to be finalized by the end of the year, adopts a fresh planning philosophy focused on transparency, functionality, and streamlining procedures for engineers and urban planning authorities. A key objective is to eliminate ambiguities and legal grey areas that, in the past, have given rise to misinterpretations, delays, and even instances of corruption.
Common problematic cases under the current framework—such as whether mezzanines count toward the floor area ratio, how attics are treated, or how stairwell distances are measured—will be clearly defined and standardized.
A Simpler, More Flexible Regulatory Model
Under the new Code, construction activity will be governed by a simplified and more predictable set of parameters:
- The building footprint
- Lateral setbacks
- The floor area ratio (FAR)
At the same time, the regulation will introduce greater architectural flexibility, moving away from the rigid “box-like” volumes that characterized developments under the 1973 building framework. The goal is to encourage better urban aesthetics and more adaptive, sustainable design.
Ending Outdated Incentives – Aligning with Modern Standards
One of the most significant changes is the abolition of outdated building incentives included in the 2012 Code. For instance, energy efficiency bonuses will no longer apply, as achieving Energy Class A will now be a standard baseline requirement for all new buildings.
Instead, the new Code will introduce modern, targeted incentives, which will be fully aligned with the new national spatial and urban planning strategy currently under development, and scheduled for completion in 2027.
Urban Planning Reform Backed by €400 Million in EU Funding
Bakogiannis emphasized that legal certainty and investor confidence in the real estate and construction sectors can only be secured through comprehensive, long-term urban planning. In this context, the government has already launched the Local Urban Plans initiative in 2023, backed by €400 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
The first Presidential Decrees related to this initiative are expected in 2027, with the full planning framework to be completed over a 5.5-year timeline—a necessary horizon for such a foundational national reform.
EU Grants Flexibility on Urban Plan Completion Deadlines
In a key development, the European Commission has agreed to adopt a flexible approach regarding the RRF-related deadlines for completing urban planning projects.
According to Bakogiannis, the Commission will accept urban plans as “completed” if they have been reviewed and formally received by the Ministry of Environment and Energy (YPEN) by April 2026—even if they have not yet undergone public consultation or formal ratification.
This decision provides much-needed breathing room for planning authorities and is expected to facilitate the timely implementation of dozens of urban development projects across the country.
