No zoning for Greek tourism until March 2023

Tourism investments in Greece are ongoing, albeit without a special framework. In fact, for five and a half years, i.e. since March 2017, tourist infrastructures have been zoned based on the Regional Spatial Plans, which, however, have not all been revised, so they do not include various modern tourism development standards. This is because the Council of State, in 2017, had canceled the first Special Spatial Framework (SPF) for Tourism of 2009, which had come back into force in 2015, when the second SPF of 2014 had been canceled by the supreme court.

How did this snap come about? In 2009, six environmental organizations (Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature, Hellenic Society for the Environment and Culture, Ornithological Society, “Arktouros”, “Archelon” and “Kallisto”) had appealed against the first Spatial Framework for tourism. However, the issuance of a decision by the Council of State had been postponed since in 2013 the then political leadership of the Ministry of Environment had established the second Spatial Framework for tourism, for which they also appealed before the Supreme Court of Cassation.

When the second framework was canceled two years later, in 2015, by the Plenary of the Council of State, the first framework of 2009 was reinstated, which was finally canceled in 2017 on the grounds that it was outdated and could not be reinstated.

Thus, in May 2018, the then Minister of Environment and Energy, Mr. Giorgos Stathakis, signed the contract for the assignment of the study for a new Spatial Framework for Tourism, and in September of the same year, the contract for the assignment of the Strategic Environmental Impact Study was also promulgated by the then General Secretary of Spatial Planning of the Ministry of Interior Ms. Irini Klabatsea, with the prospect of being completed immediately.

Today, four years later, the study has passed the judgment of the Executive Committee of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy, the proposal of the new Spatial Framework was finalized and an order was given to start the preparation stage of the Strategic Environmental Impact Study, which, barring unforeseen circumstances, is expected to be delivered to the relevant staff of the ministry by the end of the year.

According to the current schedule, the country should obtain a zoning plan for tourism in March 2023. However, there are several …unstable factors that may again delay its completion. First of all, there should be a consultation on both the draft Spatial Framework for Tourism as well as the currently being developed Spatial Framework and any observations and comments, after they have been evaluated and deemed important, should be incorporated. Then the plan will have to go through the judgement of the Central Council for Urban Planning Issues and Disputes.

The purpose of the Special Framework for Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development for Tourism is to provide guidelines, rules and criteria for the spatial structure, organization and development of tourism in Greece as well as for the necessary infrastructure. Also, the Framework lays the foundations for improving the competitiveness of the tourism product, ensuring the protection and sustainability of the resources of interest to tourism, the strengthening of regional development policies as well as the formation of a clearer framework of directions for the underlying planning, the licensing authorities, but also the companies concerned.

After all, spatial planning and urban planning are a prerequisite for the protection of the urban and natural environment, as well as the business environment. Only with clear rules – in terms of legal certainty – will investment be promoted, and the risks of encroachment or disturbance of protected or ecologically sensitive areas will be limited.