New Spatial Planning And Urban Development Code ‘Nikolaos Tagaras’: Law 5306/2026

On 8 June 2026, Law 5306/2026 was published, ratifying the new Spatial Planning and Urban Development Code¹ (the Code). The Code comprises 477 Articles and consolidates 181 separate legislative instruments — some dating back to the 1923 decree on city plans — into a single, coherent and systematically organized text.

The Code took over six years to prepare and codifies and reorganizes the law as it currently stands rather than introduce new policy choices or substantive regulatory changes².

Addressing Fragmentation and Complexity: The Code addresses longstanding structural deficiencies in Greek spatial planning and urban development law, which presented challenges for practitioners, public authorities and citizens. In consolidating the dispersed body of legislation, it codifies, rationalizes and clarifies previously scattered provisions, while also redrafting them to enhance accessibility, simplify interpretation, resolve inconsistencies and improve legal certainty. Particular attention has been given to modernizing legislative language through the adaptation of provisions into contemporary Greek³, thereby promoting greater clarity and usability.

Legal Certainty: By unifying the legislative framework, the Code significantly enhances legal certainty and promotes the clear and consistent application of the law. It facilitates access to and understanding of the relevant legislation by both professionals and the public and supports the uniform implementation of planning and development rules across the country, thereby minimizing divergent interpretations and strengthening regulatory consistency.

Transparency and Accessibility: The Code will be maintained as a continuously updated, interactive electronic database, freely accessible to the public. Future legislative amendments will be incorporated directly into the Code, ensuring that it remains current and operationally effective. This dynamic codification mechanism is designed to preserve the integrity of the legislative framework and prevent the re-emergence of the fragmentation that historically characterized the field.

The Code is organized into nine Parts (A–I), each addressing a distinct regulatory pillar of Greece's spatial planning, building and urban development framework:

Part A — Spatial Planning (Χωρικός Σχεδιασμός)
Part A contains the rules of spatial planning and is divided into seven Sections, covering:
1.   key concepts and the spatial planning system architecture;
2.   strategic spatial planning, including both terrestrial and maritime spatial planning;
3.   urban planning at first and second level: Local Urban Plans-TPS (Τοπικά Πολεοδομικά Σχέδια), Special Urban Plans - EPS (Ειδικά Πολεοδομικά Σχέδια) and Regulatory Urban Implementation Plans (Ρυμοτομικά Σχέδια Εφαρμογής);
4.   planning through Active Urbanization or Urban Land Consolidation;
5.   the urban planning system under Legislative Decree 17.7/16.8.1923;
6.   special cases of urban planning (settlements created before 14.3.1983, second-home areas, areas of environmental upgrade and private urban development); and
7.   the related transitional and authorizing provisions.

Part B — Urban Regeneration and Urban Planning Mechanisms (Αστικές Αναπλάσεις και Πολεοδομικοί Μηχανισμοί)
Part B is divided into two Sections. The first covers urban regeneration (definitions, regeneration proposals, programs and studies, means of urban intervention, financial tools and incentives), the restructuring of degraded areas, and Integrated Urban Intervention Plans. The second covers urban planning mechanisms including:
1.   pre-emption rights,
2.   environmental and urban balancing actions,
3.   transfer of floor-area ratio (FAR),
4.   zones of special reinforcement and special incentives,
5.   unification of uncovered spaces for common use, and
6.   related authorizing provisions.

Part C — Implementation of Urban Plans (Εφαρμογή Πολεοδομικών Σχεδίων)
Part C is divided into four Sections covering:
1.   contributions in land and money and implementation acts (πράξεις εφαρμογής);
2.   regularization and annexation of building plots;
3.   expropriations for the implementation of urban plans (including declaration, compensation liability, special-purpose expropriations, and state-expedited expropriations); and
4.   public spaces in approved city plans expedited by property owners.

Part D — Building and Land-Use Rules (Κανόνες Δόμησης και Χρήσης)
Part D contains the rules governing building construction and land use and is divided into seven Sections covering:
1.   general building rules (the Building Code);
2.   building in settlements lacking an urban plan with populations under 2k inhabitants (including pre-1923 settlements);
3.   out-of-plan building (εκτός σχεδίου δόμηση);
4.   Residential Control Zones (ΖΟΕ);
5.   prohibitions on subdivision of property;
6.   land-use categories; and
7.   coastal building.

Part E — Building Framework (Πλαίσιο Δόμησης)
Part E is divided into four Sections covering:
1.   building permits (general provisions, definitions, pre-approval, required documentation, issuance and validity of permits);
2.   construction works on properties subject to road-alignment expropriation;
3.   Electronic Building Identity (Ηλεκτρονική Ταυτότητα Κτιρίου) for buildings and independent property units; and
4.   supervision and control of building activity (building inspectors and audit procedures).

Part F — Addressing Unauthorized Construction and Building Exceedances (Αντιμετώπιση Αυθαίρετης Δόμησης και Υπερβάσεων Δόμησης)
Part F consists of three Sections covering:
1.   the framework for addressing unauthorized construction (categories of violations, fines and regularization procedures);
2.   the strengthened legal framework for the monitoring and enforcement of unauthorized construction, as introduced by Law 5106/2024; and
3.   the provisions governing building exceedances and changes of use under Law 3843/2010.

Part G — Dangerous Buildings (Επικίνδυνες Οικοδομές)
Part G contains the rules governing dangerous buildings — including assessment procedures, safety orders, demolition requirements and related liability provisions.

Part H — Urban Policy and National Strategies (Αστική Πολιτική και Εθνικές Στρατηγικές)
Part H includes provisions on urban policy and national strategies in areas such as urban resilience, management of the housing stock, accessibility and climate change adaptation.

Part I — Collective Bodies - Establishment, Competencies and Operation (Συλλογικά Όργανα - Συγκρότηση, Αρμοδιότητες και Λειτουργία)
Part I contains seven Sections covering:
1.   collective bodies for spatial planning;
2.   collective bodies for urban planning;
3.   Architectural Councils;
4.   Accessibility Committees;
5.   Unauthorized Building Committees;
6.   the relevant transitional provisions; and
7.   certified evaluators and the electronic registry of spatial studies.

The Code’s Annexes allow users to easily search for the article that codifies a given provision, or which provisions a given Code article codifies.

No Substantive Change in the Law: The Code does not alter existing building terms, floor-area ratios, building heights or land-use rules. It consolidates and reorganizes the law as it stands. Practitioners should not expect new regulatory requirements but should familiarize themselves with the new article numbering.

Immediate Effect: The Code enters into force upon its publication in the Government Gazette (8 June 2026). There is no transitional period and no parallel application of the Code alongside the legislation it codifies. All codified provisions are repealed as standalone instruments and live exclusively within the Code from 8 June 2026.

Digital Accessibility: The Code will be maintained as a continuously updated electronic resource. Future amendments will be incorporated directly, maintaining a single reference point.

Footnotes

^{1  named in honor of the late Deputy Minister Nikolaos Tagaras.
2  Under Article 477, the individually codified provisions are repealed as standalone instruments upon the Code’s entry into force.
3  Demotic Greek.}