Zoning Law Rejected By Vast Majority

The planned zoning law for tourism, one of the most controversial legislations in recent years, failed to obtain the consent of the political, scientific and technical bodies of Greece as the majority of the 19 members of the National Zoning Council voted against it during a recent meeting.

According to Greek press reports, the “infamous” paragraphs 9 and 10 of the planned zoning law for tourism, which permit the construction of holiday homes -that are to be sold- under the same terms of hotel construction, were the main reasons for the mixed reactions of the council members.

However, despite the rejection of the zoning law by the council (whose opinion is advisory) the Hellenic Ministry for Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works is not obliged to withdraw or alter the legislation.

The Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, who did not appear at the voting, stressed that the planned zoning law for tourism does not deal adequately with the spatial structure of tourism as required by law.

“It’s involvement in the organization of the area is mostly general and vague and permits the exploitation of land for tourism purposes everywhere without conditions and restrictions,” the chamber’s president, Gerassimos Fokas, told GTP.

Mr. Fokas added that most of the planned zoning law seems to focus on provisions of laws of the tourism ministry and not of those of zoning.