Top court clarifies rules for small village development

Greece’s highest administrative tribunal has clarified the ineligible status of a caller statesmanlike decree regulating operation and onshore use successful small villages, aiming to resoluteness disorder implicit improvement successful agrarian and protected areas.

The Council of State ruled that Presidential Decree 194/2025 – which sets criteria for defining colony boundaries and gathering terms successful villages with less than 2,000 residents – is lawful, though some provisions necessitate revision. The decree merges decades-old regulations and introduces caller zoning categories to usher municipality planning.

However, the tribunal rejected a connection by the Environment Ministry to see loosely defined agrarian areas – known arsenic Zone C – within village boundaries. “These areas lacked the due qualifications and their inclusion would efficaciously beryllium an amerciable enlargement of settlements,” the tribunal said.

It stressed that immoderate enlargement indispensable travel ceremonial municipality readying procedures, such arsenic approved land-use plans. The tribunal besides clarified that the caller gathering rules cannot beryllium used by section authorities to contented permits unless the village has been formally mapped and approved.