GREECE - national legislation

II. INSTRUMENTS OF HERITAGE PROTECTION

In Greece, “the protection of the natural and cultural environment constitutes a duty of the State and a right of every person” (Constitution of Greece, Official Bulletin, 85/A/18-4-2001, art. 24). The principal legislation ruling the protection of cultural heritage is Law 3028/2002, “On the Protection of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in general”, which develops a comprehensive detailed system of protection for tangible and intangible heritage.

The main national body for the protection of cultural heritage is the Ministry of Culture and Sports. The services of the ministry in charge of the management and protection of monuments are divided into Central Services and Regional Services.

The Central Services supervise and control the Regional Services and ensure the coordination of activities with a common approach to issues affecting cultural heritage. Central Services relating directly to the protection of cultural heritage are: the General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in charge of the protection and integral management of cultural heritage, and the General Directorate of restoration, Museums and Technical Works which collaborates with the relevant services within the General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage in the study and execution of works for the protection, stabilization, restoration and valorization of architectural monuments and monumental complexes. In addition, the Ministry of Culture and Sports has three advisory collective bodies which play a key role in the drafting of policies for the protection of cultural heritage and in approving major interventions in national monuments, sites and museums: the Central Archaeological Council, the Central Council of Recent Monuments and the Council of Museums. Matters of less importance are the remit of the Local Council of Monuments of individual regions. Furthermore, Regional Services include the Ephorates of Antiquities, in charge of the protection of cultural heritage previous to 1830, and the Services of Modern Monuments and Technical Works, in charge of modern architectural heritage.

 LEGAL FRAMEWORK

  • Protection of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage, Law 3028/02 
  • General Building Regulation, Law 2508/1997
  • New Building Regulation, Law 4067/2012 2012
  • Control and Protection of Built Environment and other provisions, Law 4495/2017.

These come under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. However, all private and public works must comply with the Archaeological law (3028/2002).

 RATIFIED INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

UNESCO

  • Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the event of Armed Conflict (1954) and the two Protocols thereto (1954 and 1999). Law 1114/81, Official Gazette 6/A/08.01.1981 and Law 3317/05, Official Gazette 45/A/23.02.2005
  • Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property (1970). Law 1103/80, Official Gazette 297/A/29.12.1980
  • Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972). Law 1126/81, Official Gazette 32/A/10.12.1981
  • Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003). Law 3521/2006, Official Gazette 275/A/22.12.2006
  • Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2005). Law 3520/06, Official Gazette 274/A/22.12.2006

COUNCIL OF EUROPE

  • European Cultural Convention (1954). Law 4194/61, Official Gazette 166/A/19.09.1961
  • Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe (1985). Law 2039/92, Official Gazette 61/A/13.04.1992
  • European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (1969, and revised, 1992). Law 1127/81, Official Gazette 32/A/10.02.1981 and Law 3378/05, Official Gazette 203/A/19.08.2005
  • European Landscape Convention (2000). Law 3827/10, Official Gazette 30/A/25.02.2010

UNIDROIT

  • Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects (1995). Law 3348/05, Official Gazette 144/A/23.06.2005

Information regarding legislation is based on Council of Europe's data: https://www.coe.int/en/web/herein-system/greece


Last modified: Monday, 23 October 2023, 4:22 PM