COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2026 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Greece Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2026 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2026-07-17
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Greece, administrative transparency, corruption, democracy, freedom of the press, human rights, independence of the judiciary, pluralism in the media, rule of law, whistleblowing

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 17.7.2026  SWD(2026) 908 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2026 Rule of Law Report                 Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Greece Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2026 Rule of Law Report                  The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2026) 900 final} - {SWD(2026) 901 final} - {SWD(2026) 902 final} - {SWD(2026) 903 final} - {SWD(2026) 904 final} - {SWD(2026) 905 final} - {SWD(2026) 906 final} - {SWD(2026) 907 final} - {SWD(2026) 909 final} - {SWD(2026) 910 final} - {SWD(2026) 911 final} - {SWD(2026) 912 final} - {SWD(2026) 913 final} - {SWD(2026) 914 final} - {SWD(2026) 915 final} - {SWD(2026) 916 final} - {SWD(2026) 917 final} - {SWD(2026) 918 final} - {SWD(2026) 919 final} - {SWD(2026) 920 final} - {SWD(2026) 921 final} - {SWD(2026) 922 final} - {SWD(2026) 923 final} - {SWD(2026) 924 final} - {SWD(2026) 925 final} - {SWD(2026) 926 final} - {SWD(2026) 927 final} - {SWD(2026) 928 final} - {SWD(2026) 929 final} - {SWD(2026) 930 final} - {SWD(2026) 931 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

In  Greece,  appointments  to  the  highest  positions  in  the  court  system  were  made  with  the 
involvement of the judiciary. Initiatives to restore trust in the justice system, including a post-
retirement cooling-off period for judges, continue to be discussed. Major projects to improve 
the  level  of  digitalisation  are  advancing  well  and  efforts  to  promote  the  use  of  alternative 
dispute  resolution  continue.  Recruitments  of  prosecutors  and  court  staff  alongside 
improvements  in  building  infrastructure  aim  to  address  shortcomings.  Reforms  show 
promising  results  in  judicial  efficiency,  as  the  length  of  proceedings  has  slightly  decreased 
but  still  remains  a  serious  challenge.  Efforts  to  decongest  civil  courts  and  reduce  delays 
include  transferring  non-litigious  cases  to  lawyers  and  notaries,  the  digital  publication  of 
wills and revisions to the Code of Civil Procedure.  

The  National  Anti-Corruption  Action  Plan  (NACAP)  2022-2025  was  successfully 
implemented  and  a  new  NACAP  is  being  finalised.  While  the  number  of  prosecutions  and 
final  judgments,  including  high-level  corruption,  remains limited, the legal  framework is  in 
place  and  implementing  rules  are  being  finalised  for  a  digital  registry  that  allows  a 
comprehensive  monitoring  of  corruption  cases.  The  police  stepped  up  efforts  to  combat 
corruption.  The  submission  of  asset  declarations  continues,  including  through  the  new 
electronic  system  ‘e-pothen’,  though  some  delays  in  submissions  and  publications  remain. 
While implementation measures and awareness-raising activities are ongoing, no legislative 
changes  have  been  introduced  regarding  the  definition  of  lobbyists  and  the  number  of 
registered  lobbyists  remains  low.  Most  political  parties  complied  with  funding  rules,  while 
concerns remain regarding transparency and implementation. Recent reforms aim to address 
structural  inefficiencies,  enhance  centralisation  and  transparency  in  public  procurement  to 
reduce corruption risks.   

The strengthening of the media regulator’s supervisory role, its funding and staff continues, 
including through the adoption of new legislation and in order to ensure adaptation to its new 
competences. For the first time, a self-regulatory body for the media sector is provided for by 
law.  A  new  law  modernises  and  strengthens  public  service  media’s  governance,  although 
concerns regarding the latter’s political independence remain. A new law for the licensing of 
regional  television  has  been  adopted.  Transparency  of  state  advertising  is  further  improved 
with the adoption of legislation and funding measures to support the media sector are planned 
or  have  been  adopted.  New  requirements  relating  to  the  legal  framework  on  access  to 
information start being applied. As provided by law, a national action plan is in preparation to 
address threats to the safety of journalists. Additional measures have been taken, and further 
work  is  ongoing  on  adopting  legislative  and  non-legislative  safeguards  to  improve  the 
protection of journalists, in particular as regards abusive lawsuits. 

The  constitutional  revision  process  started,  touching  upon  a  range  of  rule  of  law  issues, 
including  judicial  independence,  ministerial  immunities,  protection  of  journalists  and  better 
regulation. The quality of the legislative process shows improvements, yet challenges persist, 
including frequent legislative changes. Reforms seek to target the administration’s delays in 
enforcing  final  judgments.  The  immunity  regime  for  members  of  Government  remains 
debated, with broad agreement on the need for reform. Judicial scrutiny of certain aspects of 
the use of spyware continues. New staff positions have been approved for the Constitutional 
Independent Authorities, while their request  for  autonomous staff recruitment has yet  to  be 
addressed.  While  the  registration  framework  remains  fragmented,  further  steps  have  been 
taken and the basis for a structured dialogue with civil society has been laid. The Council of 
State is engaging in awareness campaigns to instil a rule of law culture among young people. 

1 

 
 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS  

Overall, based on the recommendations in  the 2025 Rule of Law Report, considering other 
developments  that  took  place  in  the  period  of  reference  and  in  addition  to  recalling  the 
relevant  commitments  made  under  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan,  and  the  country-
specific  recommendation  under  the  European  Semester  on  the  efficiency  of  the  justice 
system, the Commission concludes the following:  

•  Limited progress has been made in establishing a robust track record of prosecutions and 
final  judgments  in  corruption  cases,  as  the  legal  framework  for  a  digital  register  of 
corruption  cases  has  been  set  up  and  the  register  is  expected  to  be  operational  on  1 
January 2027; however, as the number of prosecutions and final judgments in corruption 
cases,  including  high-level  corruption,  remains  low,  it  is  recommended  to  Greece  to 
continue efforts to establish a robust track record of prosecutions and final judgments in 
corruption cases, including high-level corruption.  

•  There  has  been  only  limited  progress  in  improving  the  lobbying  framework,  as  no 
legislation expanding the definition of a lobbyist has been adopted while implementation 
measures and  awareness raising activities are ongoing.  Therefore, it is  recommended to 
Greece  to  improve  the  lobbying  framework,  including  by  reviewing  the  definition  of  a 
lobbyist and ensuring effective implementation. 

•  Some  further  progress  has  been  made  on  strengthening  legislative  and  non-legislative 
safeguards  to  improve  the  safety  and  protection  of  journalists,  in  particular  as  regards 
abusive  lawsuits,  as  additional  measures  have  been  taken  and  draft  anti-SLAPP 
legislation  is  being  finalised.  Therefore,  it  is  recommended  to  Greece  to  complete  the 
work  on  strengthening  legislative  and  non-legislative  safeguards  to  improve  the  safety 
and protection of  journalists, in  particular as  regards  abusive lawsuits, in line with the 
adopted Memorandum of Understanding and taking into account European standards on 
the protection of journalists.  

•  Some  further  progress  has  been  made  in  developing  a  structured  dialogue  with  civil 
society  organisations  (CSOs),  and  in  simplifying  registration  requirements  in  view  of 
maintaining  an  open  framework  for  them  to  operate,  given  that  the  framework  for  a 
structured dialogue with CSOs has been laid and some steps have been  taken to  reduce 
documentation requirements and streamlining procedures. Since the structured dialogue is 
yet to become regular and sustained and the registration framework remains fragmented, 
it  is  recommended  to  Greece  to  intensify  efforts  to consolidate a  regular  and sustained 
structured  dialogue  with  CSOs,  and to simplify  registration requirements in  view  of 
maintaining an open framework for them to operate. 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM1  

Independence  

The  level  of  perceived  judicial  independence  in  Greece  is  now  average  among  the 
general public and low among companies. Overall, 43% of the general population and 33% 
of  companies  perceive  the  level  of  independence  of  courts  and  judges  to  be  ‘fairly  or  very 
good’ in 20262. The perceived judicial independence among the general public has increased 
in  comparison  with  2025  (38%)  and  has  significantly  decreased  in  comparison  with  2022 
(53%). The perceived judicial independence among companies has significantly decreased in 
comparison with 2025 (49%), as well as in comparison with 2022 (59%).  

Appointments  to  the  highest  positions  in  the  court  system  were  made  under  the  new 
legal framework with the involvement of the judiciary. Building on the significant reform 
of 20243, the Government appointed, in 2025, four vice-presidents of the Council of State, a 
vice-president of the Court of Audit, the Prosecutor General of the Supreme Court as well as 
eight  Supreme  Court  vice-presidents.  These  appointments  were  largely  welcomed  by  the 
judiciary4. In June 2026, the administrative plenaries of the three highest courts conducted for 
the  second  time  the  consultative  procedure  for  further  appointments5.  The  Government 
appointed the candidates who came first  in  the judiciary’s vote as the new President of the 
Supreme  Court  and  the  new  Prosecutor  General.  There  is  broad  consensus  among  the 
judiciary,  lawyers  and  political  parties  that  the  legal  framework  for  the  appointment  of  the 
judiciary  should  be  further  revised  in  the  context  of  the  constitutional  revision,  to  help 
improve public trust6. According to the proposal submitted to Parliament in June 2026 by the 
ruling  majority,  the  decision-making  power  will  be  transferred  from  the  executive  to  a 
parliamentary  committee,  which  would  appoint,  with  increased  majorities,  one  of  the  three 
candidates nominated by the judiciary. The Court of Audit and judicial associations proposed 
that  the  Parliament  select  candidates  from  a  judiciary-vetted  shortlist  using  transparent 
criteria as well as setting term limits for the vice-presidents7. The Council of State proposes 
to  improve  the  existing  system  by  making  the  opinion  expressed  by  the  judiciary  binding 
upon the executive8. 

1  An overview of the institutional framework for all four pillars can be found  here.  
2 

Figures 48 and 50, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard and 51 and 53, 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard. The level of 
perceived  judicial  independence  is  categorised  as  follows:  very  low  (below  30%  of  respondents  perceive 
judicial  independence  as fairly  good  and very  good);  low (between  30-39%),  average  (between  40-59%), 
high (between 60-75%), very high (above 75%). 
2024 Rule of Law Report, Greece, pp. 3-4.  

3 
4  Country  visit  Greece,  Council  of  State,  Court  of  Audit  and  Supreme  Court;  Association  of  Judges  of  the 
Court  of  Audit,  written  input,  p.  1.  Some  nominations  also  drew  criticism  of  a  number  of  stakeholders: 
Association of judges and prosecutors (2025a); Association of administrative judges; Centre for European 
Constitutional Law (2026) and Civil Society (2026a), written inputs, pp. 3,8 and 13-14. 

5  Notably, for the appointments of the President, vice-presidents and the Prosecutor General of the Supreme 
Court; vice-presidents of the Council of State, as well as the General Commissioner of the Court of Audit 
and the General Commissioner of the ordinary administrative courts. Greek Government (2026c).  
In February 2026, the procedure for the constitutional revision was launched. Greek Government (2026b), 
p. 6; Country visit Greece, Court of Audit, Judicial associations, Greek Bar Associations. 

6 

7  Under the Constitution, the tenure of presidents of the highest courts is limited to four years. Country visit 
Greece, Ministry of Justice and Court of Audit; Association of Judges of the Court of Audit and Association 
of administrative judges (2026), written inputs, pp. 2 and 2-3 respectively.  

8  Council of State (2026). 

3 

 
 
 
 
Initiatives to restore trust in the justice system, including a post-retirement cooling-off 
period for judges, continue to be discussed. The Government is reflecting on a legislative 
framework for post-retirement activities for judges based on objective and transparent criteria 
and  has  proposed  to  introduce  a  three-year  cooling  off  period  in  the  forthcoming 
constitutional  revision9.  The  judiciary  supports  a  cooling-off  period  as  key  to  rebuilding 
public  trust10.  In  this  context,  the  Plenary  of  the  Council  of  State  has  proposed  that  retired 
judges should not be able to assume duties incompatible with their former judicial status for a 
two-year period. The Court of Audit, in turn, advocates for a four-year restriction, a view also 
shared by the Bar Associations11.  

Reforming the Code of Lawyers remains a priority for the legal profession. The working 
group  established  by  the  Ministry  of  Justice  in  2024  continues  its  work,  focusing  on  the 
traineeship  of  law  graduates,  the  examination  system  for  trainee  lawyers,  and  measures  to 
improve  the  efficiency  and  quality  of  legal  practice12.  For  lawyers,  reforms  are  felt  to  be 
urgently  needed,  focusing  on  compensation,  employment  rights,  and  updated  professional 
and  ethical  standards,  while  ensuring  that  admission,  career  progression  and  disciplinary 
matters  remain  exclusively  under  the  control  of  Bar  Associations13.  The  Association  of 
judges  and  prosecutors  proposed  amending  the  legal  framework  to  provide  sanctions  for 
lawyer  misconduct  during  court  hearings14.  The  proposal  was  met  with  strong  opposition 
from  lawyers, who consider that such a move would transfer  disciplinary proceedings from 
Bar  Association  bodies  to  the  courts,  thereby  violating  the  principle  of  professional  self-
regulation15.  

Quality  

Major projects to improve the level of digitalisation of the justice system are advancing 
well.  As  reflected  in  the  2026  EU  Justice  Scoreboard,  there  is  further  progress  in  certain 
areas, including digital-ready procedural rules and the use of digital technology by courts and 
prosecution  services,  while  some  shortcomings  remain16.  Greece 
is  undertaking  a 
comprehensive digital transformation of its justice system through major projects funded by 
the Recovery and Resilience Facility with full implementation targeted by the end of 202617. 
The Integrated Case Management System for Civil and Criminal Justice is already deployed 
in all prosecutors’ offices and criminal courts and the vast majority of civil courts (96%). A 
key  reform  is  the  electronic  case  file,  enabling  electronic  filing  and  organisation  of  case 
documents, full access to case materials, electronic submissions, and certificate issuance. Full 
rollout across all branches of justice is  expected by the end of 202618. The  Integrated Case 
Management  System  for  Administrative  Justice  is  due  to  become  fully  operational  by 

9  Greek Government (2026b), p. 6. 
10  Country visit, Greece, Judicial associations, Council of State and Court of Audit.  
11   CCBE (2026), written input, p. 110. 
12   The  working  group,  established  by  the  Ministry  of  Justice,  is  composed  of  judges,  lawyers,  notaries  and 
judicial officers. Greek Government (2026a), written input, p. 21. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Greece, p. 8. 

13   CCBE (2026), written input, p. 125; Plenary of Bar Associations (2026b). 
14   Association of judges and prosecutors (2025b) and (2025c); EAJ (2026). 
15   CCBE (2026), written input, pp. 15 and 111.  
16    Figures 40 and 41, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard; 2026 European Semester, Greece, pp. 4 and 71. 
17   Greek Government (2026a) and (2026c), written input, pp. 32-36. According to the Government, 28 out of 
39 reform and investment milestones related to the rule of law and the acceleration of justice had been fully 
implemented in May 2026, with the remaining ones expected to be delivered on time. 

18   From  January  2026,  cadastral  case  documents  are  submitted  electronically,  with  extension  to  all ordinary 

proceedings in April 2026.  

4 

 
 
 
September  2026,  covering  the  entire  administrative  court  process.  The  Court  of  Audit  is 
developing  a  virtual  assistant  judge  to  be  integrated  into  its  already  fully  operational  case 
management  system  (since  September  2025)19.  Judicial  statistics  collection  continues  to 
improve while remaining incomplete20. Access to case law via court websites is progressing, 
though  still  dependent  on  anonymisation,  which  is  expected  to  be  automated  soon21.  The 
digitalisation of the notary profession is advancing well22.  

Efforts  to  promote  the  use  of  alternative  dispute  resolution  continue.  A  draft  Code  of 
Alternative  Dispute  Resolution  has  been  submitted  for  the  Government’s  approval23.  Other 
measures include integrating mediation and other dispute resolution methods into law school 
curricula and mandatory training for judges, alongside digital upgrades to mediation centres 
and the establishment of arbitration committees at the Chambers of Commerce in Volos and 
Athens24.  Business  representatives  strongly  support  efforts  to  promote  alternative  dispute 
resolution25. Its use - which is voluntary - remains limited, notably in administrative disputes, 
indicating a potential area for providing further incentives26. 

Recruitment of prosecutors and court support staff alongside improvements in building 
infrastructure  aim  to  address  shortcomings.  The  Government  is  taking  measures  to 
address  the  shortage  of  prosecutors,  a  challenge  exacerbated  by  recent  judicial  reforms,  to 
meet the growing demands of first-instance courts and to align Greece with the EU average 
ratio  of  prosecutors  per  capita27.  Measures  include  creating  50  new  prosecutorial  positions 
and accelerating the training and deployment of new prosecutors28. Judges’ associations have 
demanded  measures  to  restore  pay  levels,  pointing  to  the  rapid  rise  in  living  costs  and  the 
need  for  salaries  proportionate  to  the  judicial  function29.  Support  staff  remains  insufficient, 
including assistant judges, scientific staff and IT specialists30. Incentives are provided to help 
fill  positions in  challenging  areas, where understaffing  is  common. Additional  positions for 
judicial clerks were established at the Council of State and the Court of Audit. In parallel, a 
comprehensive  programme  financed  through  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  and 
national funds is underway to renovate court infrastructure31. 

19   The  virtual  assistant  will  categorise  and  group  pending  court  cases,  address  legal  questions,  search  for 

relevant case law through interactive dialogue with users, and draft court decision templates. 

20   CCBE (2026), written input, p. 121; Civil Society (2026b), p. 6. Country visit, Prosecutors. See also Pillar 

II on the establishment of a Digital Register for corruption cases.  

21   ENCJ (2026), written input, p. 26. 
22   Country visit Greece, Association of Notaries.  
23  Greek Government (2026c). 
24   Greek Government (2026a and 2026b), pp. 41 and 7 respectively.  
25   Country visit Greece, Business associations.  
26   Figure 27, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
27   The  new judicial map and changes to criminal procedure have increased single-judge formations, thereby 
raising the demand for prosecutorial resources to support  additional hearings. Greek Government (2026a), 
written input, pp. 36 and 44. In Greece, there are six prosecutors per 100 000 inhabitants (EU average 14.5).  
28   Prosecutors welcomed the new prosecutorial positions but noted that implementation requires time. Country 

visit Greece, Prosecutors.  
29   Judicial associations (2025).    
30   While  Greece  has  the  highest  number  of  judges  per  inhabitants  in  the  EU  (Figure  36,  2026  EU  Justice 
Scoreboard),  the  judge-to-court-staff  ratio  (1:1.2)  remains  below  the  EU  average  (1:3).  Association  of 
Administrative  Judges  (2026),  written  input,  p.  1;  Country  visit,  Judicial  associations,  Greek  Bar 
Associations and Business associations. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Greece, p. 7. General Commissioner of 
the ordinary administrative courts (2026), p. 31. 
31   Greek Government (2026a), written input, p. 39. 

5 

 
 
 
The implementation of the judicial  map in administrative justice is  ongoing and there 
are  plans  to  revise  the  Code  of  Administrative  Procedure.  The  consolidation  of 
administrative courts, with the establishment of telematics offices in areas where courts will 
be abolished is expected to be completed by September 202632. Administrative judges voiced 
concerns about  a possible restriction to  access  to the courts33. Proposed amendments  to  the 
Code of Administrative Procedure introduce a front-loaded system where a judge rapporteur 
ensures  that  cases  are  fully  prepared  before  hearings34.  Following  concerns  raised  by  both 
judges and lawyers, arguing that the reforms could overburden parties with strict procedural 
obligations and judges with administrative tasks due to understaffing, the Ministry of Justice 
established  a  working  group,  with  the  participation  of  judges’  associations  and  lawyers,  to 
finalise the reforms35. 

Efficiency 

Reforms  show  promising  results  in  improving  judicial  efficiency,  as  the  length  of 
proceedings has slightly decreased, but still remains a serious challenge, notably in civil 
justice. In 2024, the disposition time in litigious civil and commercial cases at first instance 
courts slightly decreased to 737 days (compared to 771 days in 2023) though it remained the 
longest in the EU. The clearance rate for these cases dropped significantly to 81% (92% in 
2022)36.  Length  of  court  proceedings  remains  an  issue  for  business  development37.  At  the 
same time, the first statistical data from the three largest courts, following the implementation 
of the new judicial map for civil and criminal justice38, indicate a substantial improvement in 
both disposition times and clearance rates. Specifically, the estimated time for a final decision 
by  the  Athens  Court  of  First  Instance  has  decreased  to  513  days  (1 422  days  prior  to  the 
reform),  while  its  clearance  rate  has  increased  to  100.8%  (from  87.5%)39.  All  justice 
stakeholders agree that the new judicial map is already yielding positive results, and if these 
trends  continue,  it  will  mark  significant  progress  in  the  administration  of  justice40.  For 
administrative cases, the disposition time at first instance courts remains stable at 445 days in 
2024  (439  days  in  2023)  with  their  clearance  rate  remaining  among  the  highest  of  the  EU 
(112%, compared to 121% in 2023). The length of proceedings before the Council of State 
has improved, with the disposition time decreasing to 966 days in 2024 (from 1 239 days in 
2023). Judges attribute this improvement in part to the transfer of certain categories of cases 
from the Council of State to ordinary administrative courts41.  

Efforts  to  decongest  civil  courts  and  reduce  delays  include  transferring  non-litigious 
cases to lawyers and notaries, the digital publication of wills and revisions to the Code 

32   2023 Rule of Law Report, Greece, pp. 7-8. Under the previous system, judges travelled from neighbouring 
prefectures to hold court sessions on designated days each month at temporary 'transitional' court locations. 
These court seats will now be replaced by permanent telematics offices-remote hubs for virtual hearings. 
33   Association of Administrative Judges and Centre for European Constitutional Law (2026), written inputs, 

pp. 3-4 and 12 respectively. 

34  General Commissioner of the ordinary administrative courts (2026), pp. 72-78. 
35   Greek Government (2026b), pp. 7-8. Country visit Greece, Greek Bar Associations. 
36   2026 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figures 5 and 10. 
37   2026 European Semester, Greece, pp. 4, 13, 14 and 71.  
38   2025  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Greece,  p.  5.  The  consolidation  of  the  first  degree  of  jurisdiction  with  the 
merging  of  the  magistrate’s  courts  and  the  courts  of  first  instance  doubled  the  number  of  first-instance 
judges to 2100. 

39   Greek Government (2026a), written input, p. 26.  
40   Country visit Greece, Supreme Court, Association of Judges and Prosecutors and Greek Bar Associations; 

Centre for European Constitutional Law (2026), written input, p. 12. 
41   Country visit Greece, Council of State; Greek Government (2026c).  

6 

 
 
 
 
of  Civil  Procedure.  Justice  stakeholders  have  consistently  praised  the  transfer  of  judicial, 
non-litigious,  functions  to  lawyers  and  notaries,  including  the  recognition  of  associations, 
notices of mortgages and inheritance certificates42. These cases are now handled in a timely 
manner,  freeing  up  resources  within  the  judicial  system.  This  transfer  extends  to  payment 
orders  as  of  May  2026,  with  lawyers  and  notaries  ready  to  take  on  further  non-judicial 
responsibilities.  Since  November  2025,  all  wills  are  published  digitally  via  the  register  of 
wills  platform43.  Notaries  ensure  quick  certificate  issuance  and  validation  of  wills,  thus 
eliminating the previous time-consuming court process. Further efficiency gains are expected 
from  establishing  specialised  criminal  divisions  at  the  Athens  and  Thessaloniki  Courts  of 
Appeal44.  Business  representatives  consider  that  the  specialisation  of  judges  in  competition 
and  fiscal  law  could  improve  efficiency45.  New  provisions  of  the  Code  of  Civil  Procedure 
impose  strict  limits  on  hearing  postponements  and  deadlines  for  issuing  judgments  with 
sanctions for non-compliance46. The introduction of annual  caseload caps addresses judges’ 
long-standing  request  for  a  more  balanced  case  allocation  to  prevent  individual  overload47. 
Judges, however, caution that delays rarely stem from individual performance alone, warning 
that  an  overemphasis  on  speed  –  particularly  if  linked  to  salary  penalties  –  risks 
compromising  judicial independence and the quality  of rulings,  while structural  issues such 
as understaffing as regards support staff and administrative bottlenecks remain unresolved48. 

Steps  are  being  taken  to  address  the  issue  of  low  compensation  for  judicial  delays.  In 
August 2025, the European Court of Human Rights found that the compensation scheme for 
judicial  delays  was  generally  ineffective,  as  the  amounts  awarded  by  Greek  courts  fell 
consistently below European standards49. In response, the Government established a working 
group to reform the compensation framework and propose legislative amendments, aiming to 
align  Greek  compensation  criteria  with  EU  standards  and  ensure  fairer  redress  for  those 
affected by delays50. The review of the compensation system also addresses a long-standing 
request from the Bar51. 

II. 

ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK  

The  perception  among  experts,  citizens  and  business  executives  is  that  the  level  of 
corruption in the public sector is relatively high. In the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index 
by  Transparency  International,  Greece  scores  50/100  and  ranks  21st  in  the  European  Union 
and 56th globally52. This perception has been relatively stable over the past five years53. The 

42   CCBE  (2026),  Greece,  p.  120;  Country  visit  Greece,  Association  of  Notaries,  Greek  Bar  Associations, 

Supreme Court and Association of Judges and Prosecutors. 2025 Rule of Law Report, Greece, p. 6. 

43   The digital platform is managed by the Association of Notaries of the Courts of Appeal of Athens, Piraeus, 
the Aegean and the Dodecanese, under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice. During a first phase, the 
new rules only apply to demises after 1 November 2025. From 16 September 2026, notaries will handle all 
cases, no matter the date of passings. Country visit, Greece, Association of Notaries.  

44   Greek  Government  (2026a),  written  input,  p.  50.  Judges  are  assigned  to  these  divisions  on  an  exclusive 

basis for a fixed term, renewable, based on objective criteria linked to experience and performance.   

45   Country visit Greece, Business associations.  
46   Greek Government (2026a), written input, pp. 43, 46-47. 
47   A maximum number of case files is assigned to each judge; for civil court judges, the limits are 150 cases 

per year at first instance and 70 cases per year on appeal. 

48   Association of Administrative Judges (2026), written input, p. 1; Country visit, Judicial associations.  
49   Judgment of the ECtHR, application 34012/20, Vervele v. Greece.  
50   Greek Government (2026b), pp. 44-45.  
51   Country visit Greece, Greek Bar Associations.  
52  The level of perceived corruption is categorised as follows: low (above 79); relatively low (between 79-60), 

relatively high (between 59-50), high (below 50). 

7 

 
 
 
2026  Special  Eurobarometer  on  Corruption  shows  that  99%  of  respondents  consider 
corruption  widespread  in  their  country  (EU  average  71%)  and  68%  of  respondents  feel 
personally  affected  by  corruption  in  their  daily  lives  (EU  average  30%).  As  regards 
businesses, 95% of companies in Greece consider that corruption is widespread (EU average 
65%) and 79% consider that corruption is a problem when doing business (EU average 37%). 
Furthermore, 23% of respondents find that there are enough successful prosecutions to deter 
people  from  corrupt  practices  (EU  average  38%),  while  20%  of  companies  believe  that 
people  and  businesses  caught  for  bribing  a  senior  official  are  appropriately  punished  (EU 
average 31%)54. 

The  National  Anti-Corruption  Action  Plan  (NACAP)  2022-2025  was  successfully 
implemented and a new plan is being finalised. In April 2026, the National Transparency 
Authority  (NTA)  published  the  final  implementation  report  stating  that  over  80%  of  the 
Action  Plan’s  actions  were  successfully  implemented55,  with  18  incomplete  or  ongoing 
actions  transferred  to  the  new  Action  Plan56.  According  to  the  final  report,  the  2022-2025 
implementation  and 
NACAP  achieved  strong,  well-coordinated  progress  with  high 
institutional  improvements,  particularly  in  digitalisation  and  control  mechanisms.  It  was 
occasionally limited by delays, resource constraints and weak stakeholder engagement57. The 
public consultation on the new NACAP 2026–2030, which was launched in March 2026, was 
completed on 14 April 2026.58 It is envisaged to contain over 180 actions from all high-risk 
areas, to be implemented by all Ministries59. The new Governor of the NTA was appointed in 
August  2025,  and  recruitment  for  inspectors-auditors  and  administrative  staff  continued  at 
both central and regional level. In total, 374 positions are occupied (up from 364 in 2024) out 
of  a  total  of  503  posts60:  83  more  inspector-auditor  posts  need  to  be  filled.  Civil  society 
organisations  expressed  doubts  whether  the  NTA  is  sufficiently  staffed  to  cope  with  the 
increasing workload, which amounted to almost 5 000 reports in 202561.   

limited,  the 

While  the  number  of  prosecutions  and  final  judgments  in  corruption  cases,  including 
high-level  corruption,  remains 
in  place  and 
implementing  rules  are  being  finalised  for  a  digital  registry  that  will  allow  a 
comprehensive  monitoring  and  tracking  of  corruption  cases62.  Investigations  on 
corruption  offences  by  the  Financial  Police  Division  in  2025  decreased  slightly,  from  112 
cases  in  2024  to  105  in  202563.  The  data  provided  by  the  Economic  Crime  Public 
Prosecutor’s Office show that prosecution was initiated in 18 cases in 2025 (compared to 10 
in 2024 and 9 in 2023), with new cases amounting to 137 in 2025 (compared to 133 in 2024 

legal  framework 

is 

53 

In 2021, the score was 49, while, in 2025, the score is 50. The score significantly increases/decreases when 
it changes more than five points; improves/deteriorates (changes between 4-5 points) and is relatively stable 
(changes from 1-3 points) in the last five years. 

54  Data from Special Eurobarometer 573 (2026) and Flash Eurobarometer 582 (2026). 
55  NTA (2026b), p. 4.  
56  Country visit Greece, NTA. 
57   NTA (2026b), pp. 1-6. 
58  Greek Government (2026c), p. 14. 
59  NTA (2026a), p. 2.  
60  Greek Government (2026a), written input, p. 54. 
61  Country visit Greece, Civil Society Organisations.  
62  The 2025 Rule of Law report recommended Greece to “continue efforts to establish a robust track record of 
prosecutions and final judgments in corruption cases, including high-level corruption.” 2025 Rule of Law 
Report,  Greece, p.  2.  Some  progress  was  previously  assessed  on  this  recommendation  in  2025,  2024  and 
2023. 

63  Hellenic Police (2026), written input, p. 1. 

8 

 
 
 
and 144 in 2023)64. Four foreign bribery cases65 are still in the investigation phase66 and to 
date,  there  has  been  no  conviction  for  foreign  bribery  in  Greece.  Civil  society  expressed 
concerns  about  the  limited  number  of  final  judgments  in  complex  or  high-level  corruption 
cases,  as  well  as  the  length  of  proceedings67.  While  the  legal  framework    on  the  unified 
registry  for  the  monitoring  of  corruption  cases  has  been  adopted68,  work  on  the  registry 
continues with a view to full operationalisation, expected on 1 January 202769. The registry 
will  function  as  a  single  nationwide  digital  system  of  structured  data  and  information  on 
corruption cases covering all procedural stages70. The registry aims to introduce, inter alia, a 
unified mechanism for case traceability, real time updating of procedural developments, and 
the systematic identification of delays, thereby enhancing the completeness, consistency and 
usability of the relevant data 71. The authorities expect the new digital system to enable them 
to  trace  corruption  cases  across  all  procedural  stages,  address  previously  identified  data 
fragmentation  and  enhance  monitoring.  Cooperation  between 
the  European  Public 
Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), the police and the national prosecution offices remains broadly 
effective.  The  number  of  European  delegated  prosecutors  has  risen  from  seven  in  2023  to 
thirteen  in  202672.  In  April  2026,  Parliament  lifted  the  immunity  of  13  Members  of 
Parliament in response to requests by the EPPO, allowing prosecuting authorities to proceed 
with  the  relevant  cases73.  Overall,  the  legal  framework  for  a  digital  register  of  corruption 
cases  has  been  set  up  and  the  register  is  expected  to  be  operational  in  the  coming  months; 
however,  as  the  number  of  prosecutions  and  final  judgments  in  corruption  cases,  including 
high-level corruption, remains low, there has been limited progress on this recommendation.  

The  police  stepped  up  efforts  to  combat  corruption,  including  internally,  by 
implementing integrity measures and disciplinary proceedings. The Directorate of Ethics 
and  Internal  Control,  set  up  in  2025,  received  a  clearer  mandate  for  internal  control  and 
disciplinary investigations, strengthening independence and procedural clarity. In 2025, 3 052 
disciplinary  proceedings  were  conducted,  100  police  officers  were  temporarily  suspended 
(compared  to  87  in  2024)  and  10  were  dismissed.  1 579  complaints  related  to  corruption 
offences were received, resulting in 140 arrests (compared to 1 312 and 187 respectively in 
2024)74.  In  addition,  the  new  Directorate  for  Combating  Organised  Crime  ensures  a  more 
interdisciplinary approach and intelligence-led policing regarding complex cases, which often 

64   According to the data provided by the Government, this makes up a total of 462 pending cases, representing 

a significant backlog. Greek Government (2026b), additional written input, annex, p. 2.  

65  The cases are dating from 2021, 2022, 2024 and 2025. 
66  Country visit Greece, Prosecutors.  
67  ENNHRI (2026), pp. 36-37. 
68  Law 5282/2026, Greek Government (2026b), p. 14 and annex on pillar II, p. 3.  
69 
Joint ministerial declaration, JMD 39597/01.07.2026, GG B΄ 4189/ 09.07.2026.  
70  The  oversight  of  the  registry’s  operation  is  entrusted  to  a  three-member  committee  of  the  Ministry  of 

Justice, chaired by the Economic Crime Prosecutor. Greek Government (2026a), written input, p. 11. 

71  Greek Government (2026c), pp. 13-14.  
72  The  Government  considers  having  satisfied  requests  by  the  EPPO  regarding  staffing,  financing  and 

administrative support. Greek Government (2026c), p. 18. 

73   In  other  four  cases,  authorisation  was  not  granted.  The  regime  for  parliamentary  immunity  protects  MPs 
from prosecution only for actions tied to their duties. For unrelated offences investigations proceed without 
lifting immunity, but prosecution and trial require Parliament to lift it.   Greek Government (2026b), p. 23. 
On  the  immunity  for  members  of  Government,  see  also  Pillar  IV.  The  EPPO  reports  that  in  some  cases 
operational delays, under-resourcing, and the immunity  enjoyed by members of Government have had an 
impact on the EPPO’s and national prosecutors’ ability to investigate  and prosecute high-level corruption 
effectively. The decision of the Supreme Judicial Council of the Supreme Court to renew the term of office 
of  three  European  Delegated  Prosecutors  for  two  years  prompted  reactions  by  the  EPPO.  EPPO  (2026), 
written input, p. 19. 

74  Greek Government (2026c), p. 24.  

9 

 
 
 
 
involve  corruption75.  The  Directorate  for  Combating  Organised  Crime  identified  corruption 
as  a  key  facilitator  of  organised  crime,  particularly  in  areas  such  as  drug  trafficking, 
smuggling,  fuel  and  tobacco  fraud,  forged  travel  documents,  cultural  goods  trafficking, 
financial  crime,  and  weapons  trafficking.  Technological  improvement,  digitalisation, 
continuous staff training and international cooperation have been identified as key elements 
in resolving organised crime and corruption cases, which are becoming increasingly complex 
and require more resources76.  

The  submission  of  asset  declarations  continues,  including  through  a  new  electronic 
system, though delays in submissions and publications remain. Asset declarations must be 
submitted  by  several  categories  of  obliged  persons,  including  elected  officials  at  all 
government  levels  and  their  spouses.77  In  2025,  the  new  electronic  system  ‘e-pothen’  was 
used by significantly more users compared to 202478 and almost one million obliged persons 
used it to submit their declarations79. The NTA highlights the user-friendliness of the system, 
improved  data  accuracy,  real-time  cross-checking  with  other  databases  such  as  banking 
databases, and a sound risk analysis80. Civil society organisations note that the deadline for 
the submission of asset declarations by public officials and other persons concerned for the 
financial year 2024 was extended, as in previous years81. The Parliament Committee for the 
Investigation of Declaration of Assets (CIDA) considers the delay in submissions was caused 
by  the  lack  of  familiarity  with  the  new  system82.  There  was  also  a  delay  in  publication  of 
asset declarations83 by seven months, due to the need of manual cross-checks, data protection 
compliance checks and increased volume of spouse declarations84. As regards gift disclosure, 
whereas gifts to Members of Cabinet are published, gifts to Members of Parliament are not 
disclosed in a publicly accessible register85. The code of conduct for Members of Parliament 
has not yet been updated, as planned in the NACAP86.  

While  implementation  measures  and  awareness-raising  activities  are  ongoing,  no 
legislative  changes  have  been  introduced  regarding  the  definition  of  lobbyists  and  the 
number  of  registered  lobbyists  remains  low87.  The  Greek  Government  has  been  working 

75  Country visit Greece, Hellenic Police. 
76  Country visit Greece, Hellenic Police. 
77   Country visit Greece, Parliament Committee for the Investigation of Declaration of Assets (CIDA). 
78   1 284 901 users in 2025, compared to 521 484 in 2024. Country visit Greece, CIDA. 
79  Greek Government (2026c), p. 30. 
80  Country visit Greece, NTA. The Asset Declarations Audit Department of the Directorate of Economy and 
Development received 70 complaints and completed 26 audits in 2025. Greek Government (2026a), written 
input, pp. 64-65. 

81  Civil Society (2026a), written input, p. 41. 
82 

In 2025, a total of 24 156 audits were carried out by the CIDA and the special audit bodies, as defined by 
asset declarations law 5026/2023. The Asset Declarations Audit Department of the Directorate of Economy 
and  Development  received  70  complaints  and  completed 26  audits  in  2025,  according to  law  4622/2019. 
Greek Government (2026c), p. 25. 

83  According  to  the  Government,  certain  delays  in  submissions  and  publications  were  reported  especially 

during the transitional implementation phase. Greek Government (2026c), p. 11. 

84  Country visit Greece, CIDA. Declarations for 2023 and 2024 were only published in late September 2025. 
Such long delays make follow-up actions difficult and accountability mechanisms inefficient. Civil Society 
(2026a), written input, p. 41. 

85  Greek Government (2026a) and Civil Society (2026a), written inputs, pp. 65 and 44 respectively. 
86  NTA  (2026a),  pp.  3-4.  Updating  the  Code  of  Conduct  for  MPs,  as  well  as  introducing  an  obligation  to 
publish  their  register  of  gifts was  also  recommended  to be  included  in  the  NACAP  2026-2030 by  CSOs. 
Civil Society (2026a), written input, p. 40. 

87  The 2025 Rule of Law Report recommended Greece to “to improve the lobbying framework, including by 

reviewing the definition of a lobbyist and ensuring effective implementation.” 

10 

 
 
 
on  raising  awareness  of  the  transparency  obligations  and  the  transparency  register  and 
training  of  government  members,  deputy  ministers,  and  general  and  special  secretaries  of 
ministries  and  their  offices88.  Since  the  register  became  operational  in  December  2022, 
entries have slightly increased, from 20 in July 2024 to 35 in March 2026. There are currently 
320 institutional bodies registered (of which 280 have an active tenure), compared to 305 at 
the end of 2024. The narrow definition of a lobbyist, which does not cover in-house lobbyists, 
has not been amended89. The Ministry of Interior has announced the intention to examine the 
extent and the depth of the amendment of the legislative scope. To this end it will organize a 
workshop and call for evidence in  autumn 202690. Moreover, concerns have been raised by 
civil  society  organisations  about  the  low  number  of  declared  meetings  and  informational 
inconsistencies  between  institutional  stakeholders  and  lobbyists,  as  well  as  failure  by  some 
lobbyists  to  submit  annual  declarations.  No  inspections  have  been  carried  out  and  no 
sanctions imposed91. The 2025 Annual Report of the NTA on lobbying activities recorded in 
the Transparency Register has not yet been published92. Overall, while awareness-raising and 
institutional  coordination  efforts  are  being  actively  developed,  no  legislation  expanding  the 
definition of a lobbyist has been initiated. There has therefore been only limited progress on 
this recommendation.  

Most political parties complied with the funding rules, while concerns remain regarding 
transparency  and  the  implementation  of  the  framework.  In  2025,  CIDA  audited93  18 
political parties, finding that most parties complied with financing rules94. Nevertheless, eight 
violations have been detected 95, with penalties96 imposed on six parties and warning letters 
sent  to  two97.  The  audit  of  parties  that  participated  in  the  June  2024  European  Parliament 
elections  did  not  identify  any  major  violations.  Civil  society  organisations  report  that 
shortcomings remain in both the legislative framework98 and the practical implementation of 
political finance transparency rules, noting limited publication of relevant information by the 
competent  authority,  a  lack  of  responses  to  information  requests  and  complaints,  and 

88  Training actions took place in the first half of 2026 under the framework of the “Leadership Academy” of 
the  National  Centre  for  Public  Administration  and  Local  Government,  jointly  with  the  ΝΤΑ.  Greek 
Government  (2026a),  written  input,  p.  12.  Further  implementation  measures,  including  awareness-raising 
and institutional coordination, are being actively developed. Greek Government (2026c), p. 31. 

89  This was highlighted in the NTA’s February 2025 report on lobbying which recommended an extension of 
the scope of the law as regards the definition of ‘lobbyist’, in addition to a change in culture, a commitment 
to  apply  the  rules  by  all  parties  involved  and  continuous  monitoring  and  review  of  its  procedures  and 
regulations. 2025 Rule of Law Report, Greece and NTA (2026), written input, pp. 4-5. 

90  Greek Government (2026c), p. 28. 
91  Civil Society (2025 and 2026a), pp. 39 and 39 respectively.  
92  Law 4829/2021 requires the NTA to publish annual statistics and reports on registered lobbying activities.  
93   Referring to the fiscal year 2023. 
94   Law  5166/2024  clarifies  that  state  funding  for  an  electoral  contest  must  be  returned  in  case  of  non-
participation  in  an  election  and  will  be  suspended  until  certain  criteria  are  met  in  cases  where  a  party  or 
coalition leader is convicted of a criminal offence. 2025 Rule of Law Report, Greece, p. 10. 

95  Greek Government (2026c), p. 28. 
96    Sanctions range from EUR 3 000 to 10 000, with additional penalties for certain more serious violations.  

Country visit Greece, CIDA. 
97   CIDA (2026), written input, p. 6. 
98 

In  their  joint  contributions  to  the  2023,  2024,  2025  and  2026  Rule  of  Law  Reports,  civil  society 
organisations reiterated their misgivings about the adequacy of the legislative framework adopted in 2022 
(PD 15/2022), notably regarding the use of special bank accounts and the transparency, accountability and 
objectivity of the audit mechanism. Civil Society (2023), p. 16.    

11 

 
 
 
concerns regarding the  effective monitoring and  enforcement of legal  obligations  related to 
the publication of political parties’ financial statements99.  

The  number  of  whistleblower  reports  remained  stable.  The  Government  stated  that  the 
number of reported cases, as well as their quality are increasing100. In 2025, 74 whistleblower 
reports (82 in 2024) were submitted to the National Transparency Authority NTA, acting as 
the  external  reporting  channel,  of  which  four  are  being  investigated  and  three  have  been 
forwarded to the competent authorities for a follow-up (five and two respectively in 2024)101. 
In addition, the NTA organised a number of training sessions for local government officials 
and the healthcare sector on the role of officers who receive and follow-up on whistleblower 
reports102. Civil society notes a lack of information on the website of the relevant authorities 
about internal reporting channels and reporting officers103. 

Recent  reforms  aim  to  address  structural  inefficiencies,  enhance  centralisation  and 
strengthen  transparency  and  efficiency  in  public  procurement  to  reduce  corruption 
risks.  Businesses’  attitudes  towards  corruption  in  the  EU  show  that  45%  of  companies  in 
Greece  (EU  average  30%)  think  that  corruption  has  prevented  them  from  winning  a  public 
tender  in  practice  in  the  last  three  years.  23%  of  businesses  perceive  the  level  of 
the  public  procurement  review  body  (Single  Independent  Public 
independence  of 
Procurement  Authority)  as  very  or  fairly  good,  which  has  significantly  decreased  in 
comparison  with  2025  (39%)104.  The  Single  Market  and  Competitiveness  Scoreboard  on 
access  to  public  procurement  in  Greece  reports  58%  of  single  bids  for  2025  (EU  average 
to 
27%).  Public  procurement  and  major 
corruption105. The Hellenic Single Public Procurement Authority (HSPPA) reported receiving 
mainly  complaints  relating  to  direct  award  of  contracts  without  appropriate  market 
research106.  The  new  Law  5218/2025  reforms  the  legal  framework  for  public  procurement 
with  the  aim  of  strengthening  transparency,  integrity  and  procedural  efficiency  by 
establishing  a  system  of  training  and  certification  for  civil  servants  handling  public 
procurement.  Additionally,  the  staff  of  the  HSPPA  was  increased  to  reduce  the  length  of 
proceedings  and  accelerate  the  examination  of  pre-contractual  remedies107.  The  Code  of 
Conduct for Public Procurement Professionals has been published108. Moreover, a Register of 
Public  Procurement  Professionals  has  been  established,  aiming 
the 
professionalisation,  integrity  and  accountability  of  officials  involved  in  public  procurement 
procedures109.  The  functioning  of  the  Integrated  Licencing  and  Inspections  Management 
System,  which  standardises  and  digitalises  licencing  processes  and  actions  serving  citizens, 
businesses and the public administration, is perceived positively by businesses, despite some 

infrastructure  projects  remain  vulnerable 

to  strengthen 

99   Civil Society (2026a), written input, p. 42. 
100   Greek Government (2026b), additional written input, p. 16. 
101   NTA (2026a), pp. 6-7; 2024 Annual Report, NTA, p. 20.  
102  Greek Government (2026), written input, p. 87. 
103   Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2026), p. 17. 
104   Figure 59, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
105  Country visit Greece, Hellenic Police; Greek Government (2026b), additional written input, p. 27. 
106  This concerned in particular public tenders on clothes and footwear for the military, deliveries of perishable 

goods to hospitals and public street lighting. Country visit Greece, HSPPA. 

107  Greek Government (2026a), written input, p. 69. 
108   It  is  conceived  as  non-binding  guidance  that  complements  existing  procurement  legislation  and  integrity 
rules,  helping  practitioners  interpret  legal  obligations  and  handle  ethical  dilemmas.  The  initiative  was 
developed with support from the EU Technical Support Instrument (TSI). Country visit Greece, NTA. 
109   Registered officials are required to submit asset and interest declarations, declare any conflicts of interest, 
and  comply  with  safeguards ensuring  impartiality  and  independence.  Greek  Government  (2026a),  written 
input, pp. 69-70. 

12 

 
 
 
weaknesses, in particular lacking interoperability with other systems such as urban and road 
planning110.  Beside  public  procurement,  local  government,  social  security  and  benefits, 
healthcare and EU funds are reported as the sectors most vulnerable to corruption risks111.  

III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM  

Strengthening  of  funding,  staff  and  supervising  role  of  the  media  regulator  continues, 
including through new legislation, while adapting to the regulator’s new competences. A 
new  law  has  been  adopted  which  further  strengthens  the  mandate  and  resources  of  the 
National  Council  for  Radio  and  Television  (NCRTV),  with  a  view  to  aligning  with  the 
European Media Freedom Act (EMFA)112. In addition, in June 2026 a new law on licensing 
of free-to-air terrestrial digital television with regional scope was adopted by Parliament that 
is also intended to increase the national regulator’s financial and human resources. A similar 
draft on the licensing of radio stations is to follow in the coming months and is regarded as a 
positive  development  for  regional  media  and  competitiveness  across  the  media  sector113. 
While  there  are  still  some  vacancies,  in  2025,  new  employees  with  various  profiles  joined 
NCRTV,114. In the meantime, NCRTV continues its internal reorganisation to accommodate 
new  competences115  and  notes  the  importance  of  successfully  adapting  its  regulatory 
activities  to  the  increasing  digitalisation  of  the  audiovisual  media  market116.  Prior  to  the 
introduction  of  measures  in  2026,  the  Media  Pluralism  Monitor  (MPM)  maintained  its 
previous  assessment  of  the  independence  and  effectiveness  of  the  Media  Authority  as  high 
risk.117. 

For  the  first  time,  a  self-regulatory  body  for  the  media  sector  is  provided  for  by  law. 
With  a  view  to  aligning  with  the  EMFA,  a  new  law  provides  for  the  establishment  of  the 
Hellenic  Media  Council,  an  independent  self-regulatory  body,  with  the  participation  of 
journalists,  media  owners,  academics  and  civil  society,  and  the  State  providing  legal 
recognition  and  institutional  space  in  line  with  the  principle  of  self-regulation118.  Yearly 
financial  support  to  this  structure  is  also  provided,  to  be  determined  by  an  upcoming 
Ministerial decision. The Council is intended to promote public dialogue on issues relating to 
media  freedom  and  strengthen  media  pluralism  and  editorial  independence.  Stakeholders 
welcomed this development  and its  potential impact  to  help  address  issues of transparency, 
trustworthiness  and  accuracy  in  the  media  sector  and  providing  a  forum  for  exchange 
between media service providers  and journalists’ unions,  4119. Moreover, in 2025, financial 
support measures were launched by the Government, notably to local and regional media, and 
a long-term State aid plan is being implemented to support the sector’s digital transition120. 

110   Country visit Greece, business associations.  
111  Country visit Greece, NTA. 
112   Law 5253/2025; Greek Government (2026a), written input, pp. 90-93; European Media Freedom Act.  
113   Greek Government (2026a), written input, pp. 90-93; Country visit Greece, Private Broadcasters. 
114   NCRTV (2026), p. 1; Greek Government (2026a), written input, pp. 90-93. 
115   Notably  under  Law  4779/2021  transposing  the  Audiovisual  Media  Services  Directive,  Law  5099/2024 
implementing  the  Digital  Services  Act  and  Law  5253/2025  partially  implementing  the  European  Media 
Freedom Act. 

116   NCRTV (2026), p. 3. 
117   Media Pluralism Monitor (2026), p. 17. 
118  Law 5253/2025; Greek Government (2026a), written input, pp. 92-93. 
119  Country visit Greece, journalists. 
120  Greek Government (2026a), written input, pp. 37-38. The scheme, established by Joint Ministerial Decision 

E/1815/22.05.2026, has been approved by the European Commission. 

13 

 
 
 
 
A  new  law  modernises  and  strengthens  public  service  media’s  governance,  while 
concerns  regarding  political  independence  remain.  A  newly  adopted  law  includes 
organisational  changes  in  the  administration  and  performance  incentives  for  staff  of  the 
Hellenic Radio and Television Corporation (ERT), with a view to aligning with the EMFA. It 
also  establishes a three  months’ deadline  for the submission  of ERT’s annual  report on the 
use of financial resources121. Stakeholders nevertheless continue to report concerns relating to 
the  public  service  media’s  independence,  notably  in  view  of  the  decreasing  political  or 
investigative  content  of  public  interest  and  of  incidents  of  staff  dismissal  or  programming 
discontinuation, exacerbated by precarious working conditions122. Concerns persist also with 
regard  to  leeway  for  appointments  based  on  political  considerations  and  the  fact  that  ERT 
continues  to  be  subject  to  the  oversight  by  the  General  Secretariat  for  Communication  and 
Media,  placed  under  the  responsibility  of  the  Deputy  Minister  to  the  Prime  Minister  and 
Government  Spokesperson123.  According  to  the  Government  the  oversight  is  limited  to 
institutional and administrative  matters124. The MPM has  maintained its  previous risk score 
of high risk with regard to the independence of public service media125. 

Transparency  of  state  advertising  is  further  improved  with  the  adoption  of  new 
legislation, and funding measures to support the media sector are planned or have been 
adopted.  With  a  view  to  aligning  with  the  EMFA  and  in  addition  to  the  existing  legal 
framework126 which only allows media appearing in the Registry for Print Media (MET) and 
the Registry for Electronic Press (MHT) to be eligible for state advertising, a new law now 
requires all public sector bodies to disclose the expenditure allocated for state advertising, as 
well as the publication of an annual report on the allocation of state advertising expenditure 
by  the  national  media  regulator127.  The  public  “e-Pasithea”  system  provides  full,  real-time 
public  access  to  every  item  of  state  advertising  expenditure,  and  publishing  obligations  are 
extended to advertising planning for public bodies as well as to all amounts received in state 
advertising by media outlets128. a. Furthermore, the adopted new law on licensing of free-to-
air  terrestrial  digital  television  with  regional  scope  also  provides  transparent  and  objective 
criteria with regard to eligibility for state advertising, including media concentration limits129. 
The same legislative initiative also provides for the establishment of a unified National Media 
Ownership  Database,  consolidating  information  currently  maintained  in  separate  registries. 
Some stakeholders nevertheless note that the lack of transparency of state advertising and the 
dependency of some media outlets are problems still affecting media pluralism and editorial 
independence, namely during pre-election periods130. The 2026 MPM notes the update of the 
legal framework and has maintained its medium to low-risk score for this area131. It continues 
to  note  high  levels  of  media  concentration  as  a  problem  in  Greece,  despite  the  new  media 

121  Law 5253/2025; Greek Government (2026a), written input, p. 95. 
122  Country visit Greece, journalists; International Press Institute (2026), p. 15; Civil Society (2026a), pp. 47-

49; ENNHRI (2026), p. 38. 

123  2025 Rule of Law Report, Greece, p. 13. 
124  Greek Government (2026c). 
125  Media Pluralism Monitor (2026), p. 34. 
126  Law 5005/2022. 
127  Law 5253/2025; Greek Government (2026a), written input, pp. 93-94. 
128  Greek Government (2026c). 
129  Country visit Greece, Secretariat General for Communication and Media. 
130   Country visit Greece, journalists; International Press Institute (2026), pp. 18-19. 
131   Media Pluralism Monitor (2026), Greece, pp. 32-33. 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
concentration  limits  foreseen  in  the  new  legislation  on  licensing  of  free-to-air  terrestrial 
digital television.132.  

New requirements relating to the legal framework on access to information as amended 
last  year  start  being  applied.  New  requirements  have  been  introduced  by  Ministerial 
Decision regarding the filing of non-anonymous requests for access to documents in view of 
further  amending  the  legal  framework  following  the  update  of  the  Code  of  Administrative 
Procedure whereby it was clarified that documents  can be requested  either anonymously  or 
with  identification  by  any  individual  or  legal  entity  unless  the  document  contains  personal 
data133. Stakeholders consider such  requirements, notably a certified digital signature, to  be 
disproportionate134.  Moreover,  stakeholders  continue  to  indicate  that  there  is  a  lack  of 
awareness by public authorities about the applicable legal obligations and their scope. While 
the Government does not yet have aggregated data on such requests, it has asked all relevant 
public entities to gather such data by early July 2026135. The 2026 MPM notes that “the right 
to  information  is  legally  protected,  but  challenges  persist  in  balancing  transparency  with 
privacy and security considerations, particularly in the digital environment136. 

As  provided  by  law,  a  national  action  plan  is  in  preparation  to  address  threats  to  the 
safety of journalists. A newly adopted law establishes new competences for the Task Force 
on Safety of Journalists on the Protection, Safety and Empowerment of Journalists and Media 
Professionals,  and  mandates  the  adoption  of  a  National  Action  Plan  for  the  Safety  of 
Journalists  whose  public  consultation  was  launched  on  24  June  2026137.  The  draft  Action 
Plan, currently under discussion in view of adoption in September 2026, aims to holistically 
address  threats  to  the  safety  of  journalists,  strengthening  their  protection  on  the  field.  It 
further  aims  to  strengthen  the  institutional  response  to  such  threats  by  recording  incidents, 
developing early warning and supporting mechanisms, carrying out educational actions, and 
fostering cross-sectorial cooperation and coordination with EU mechanisms and institutions. 
In 2025, a new course on freedom of expression and the safety of journalists was introduced 
into the training programme of the Hellenic Police Academy  and consultations are ongoing 
regarding the regular funding  and sustainability of the International  Training Center for the 
Safety of Journalists and Media Professionals138. In June 2026, a proposal to enshrine in the 
Constitution the protection of journalists and their editorial independence was submitted by 
the ruling majority to the Parliament139. A new collective labour agreement for journalists in 

132   Media Pluralism Monitor (2026), p. 30. 
133   Article 1 of Ministerial Decision 8229/2025. 
134   Civil Society(2026a), pp. 54-55. 
135   Country  visit  Greece,  Secretariat  General  for  Communication  and  Media;  Greek  Government  (2026a), 

written input, p. 38. 

136   Media Pluralism Monitor (2026), Greece, p. 7. 
137   Law 5253/2025; Greek Government (2026a and 2026b), pp. 99-103 and 34-37 respectively. The nationwide 
consultation  cycle  will  bring  together  representatives  of  public  authorities,  journalists’  associations, 
academia, international organisations and civil society. The Task Force on the Safety of Journalists is in its 
fourth year of operation and has been recognised by the OSCE as a good practice. 

138   Greek  Government  (2026a),  written  input,  pp.  34-37.  The  Centre  has  developed  an  innovative  training 
model that brings together journalists and police officers in a structured learning environment, with the aim 
of enhancing journalist safety, improving communication during crises and strengthening respect for press 
freedom and human rights.  

139  The proposal includes amendments to Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution, concerning the modernisation 
and rationalisation of the framework applicable to the press, television, radio and the internet. It takes  into 
account  the  evolution  of  the contemporary media  environment,  including digital  and  electronic  media.  In 
particular,  the  proposal  expressly  refers  to  the  protection  of  journalists  and  seeks  to  strengthen  their 
safeguards also vis-à-vis their employers. Greek Government (2026c). 

15 

 
 
 
 
the public sector is expected to be signed within June 2026, introducing additional safeguards 
relevant  to  the  safety  of  journalists140.  Further  measures  have  been  taken  to  address  the 
economic  pressures  affecting  the  media  sector  and  support  employment,  in  particular an 
amount  of  up  to  EUR  16.8  million  through  the  2026  annual support programme.  The  2026 
MPM  maintains  its  previous  score  of  the  area  “journalistic  profession,  its  standard  and 
protection”  as  high  risk141.  The  Council  of  Europe’s  Platform  to  promote  the  protection  of 
journalism  and safety  of journalists registered  three  alerts  since the publication of the 2025 
Rule  of  Law  Report  relating  to  the  physical  integrity  and  safety  of  journalists142.  The 
Mapping Media Freedom platform registered twelve new alerts143 since the publication of the 
2025  Rule  of  Law  Report  relating  to  physical  assaults  or  threats,  legal  intimidation  and 
obstruction of access. Stakeholders continue to report incidents of attacks and threats against 
journalists144,  as  well  as  difficulties  accessing  key  sites,  such  as  migration  camps,  for  the 
purposes  of  investigative  reporting  and  the  absence  of  a  collective  agreement  across  the 
sector contributing to precarity of working conditions and salaries145.  

Additional  measures  have  been  taken  to  improve  the  safety  and  protection  of 
journalists, in particular as regards abusive lawsuits146. Stakeholders reported new cases 
that  according  to  them  qualify  as  SLAPPs  and  underlined  the  need  to  have  adequate 
legislation  in  place147.  Draft  legislation  transposing  the  anti-SLAPP  Directive  was  put  to 
public consultation in July 2026, with adoption scheduled for the same month. According to 
the Government, the draft law proposes procedural safeguards for early dismissal of abusive 
proceedings in both cross-border and domestic cases148. The Committee set up to work on the 
draft law has received proposals from representatives of ERT and the Panhellenic Federation 
of Journalists' Unions (POESY). Furthermore, a newly adopted law provides state funding to 
the  SLAPPs  Observatory  of  POESY149.  Overall,  in  addition  to  the  measures  adopted  in 
previous  years,  there  has  been  some  further  progress  on  the  implementation  of  the 
recommendation. 

140  These  include,  in  particular,  provision  for  a  certification  scheme  for  the  training  of  journalists  for 
assignments in conflict / war zones, delivered by the International Centre for the Protection and Training of 
Journalists. Greek Government (2026c). 

141   Media Pluralism Monitor (2026), Greece, p. 16. 
142   Council of Europe Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists (2025-2026). 
Greece has replied to all alerts. In general, according to the Government, Greece has answered 80% of all 
alerts registered since 2015.  

143   European Centre for Press and Media Freedom Mapping Media Freedom (2024-2025). 
144   Civil  Society  (2026a),  pp.  50-52;  Reporters  without  Borders  (2026),  written  input,  p.  17;  Human  Rights 

Watch (2026), p. 1; ENNHRI (2026), p. 36. Country visit Greece, journalists. 

145   Country visit Greece, journalists. 
146   The  2025  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  to  Greece  to  “continue  ongoing  efforts  to  strengthen 
legislative and non-legislative safeguards to improve the safety and protection of journalists, in particular as 
regards abusive lawsuits, in line with the adopted Memorandum of Understanding and taking into account 
European standards on the protection of journalists”. Significant progress was previously assessed on this 
recommendation in 2025 and some progress in 2024 and 2023. 

147   Country visit Greece, journalists; Civil Society(2026a), pp. 52-54; Reporters without Borders (2026), p. 18; 

International Press Institute (2026), p. 22; ENNHRI (2026), p. 16. 

148   Greek Government (2026a and 2026b), pp. 105-106 and 31-34; Human Rights Watch (2026), p. 2. 
149   Law  5253/2025;  Greek  Government  (2026),  p.  106;  Commission  Recommendation  (EU)  2022/758  of  27 
April 2022 on protecting journalists and human rights defenders who engage in public participation from 
manifestly unfounded or abusive court proceedings (‘Strategic lawsuits against public participation’). 

16 

 
 
 
IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

The process of constitutional revision has started, touching upon a range of rule of law 
issues.  In  February  2026,  the  Government  officially  announced  the  launch  of  the 
constitutional  revision  process  and  opened  a  public  and  political  dialogue  on  the  proposed 
amendments.  In  June  2026,  the  proposal  by  the  ruling  majority  was  formally  submitted  to 
Parliament150,  followed  by  the  establishment  of  a  cross-party  constitutional  revision 
committee, tasked with examining the proposed amendments within a two-month deadline151. 
The  proposal  consists  of  a  package  of  reforms  covering  approximately  30  constitutional 
provisions,  with  the  overarching  objective  of  strengthening  democratic  institutions,  the  rule 
of  law,  and  the  effectiveness  of  public  governance.  Core  issues  under  discussion  include 
judicial  independence,  the  protection  of  journalists,  the  regime  for  the  prosecution  of 
members  of  the  Government  and  the  principles  of  better  regulation.  The  final  vote  on  the 
constitutional amendments falls with the next Parliament152. 

The  quality  of  the  legislative  process  shows  improvements,  yet  challenges  persist, 
including  the  frequent  legislative  changes.  All  draft  laws  in  the  reporting  period  were 
adopted through the ordinary legislative procedure without recourse to expedited procedures. 
Public  consultation  for  draft  laws  was  systematically  conducted  within  the  statutory  two-
week  period153.  The  percentage  of  additional  provisions  included  in  the  final  text  of 
legislation  without  prior  public  consultation  continued  to  decrease  in  2025154.  At  the  same 
time, additional provisions are still being introduced in Parliament as amendments on the day 
before  the  Plenary  vote  and  are  often  unrelated  to  the  subject  matter  of  the  law155.  While 
regulatory impact assessments (RIAs) are systematically carried out  for primary legislation, 
their  analysis  focuses  predominantly  on  fiscal  aspects156.  The  OECD  and  national 
stakeholders consider that RIAs do not adequately assess the potential costs and benefits for 
businesses  and  citizens,  do  not  provide  sufficiently  clear  guidance  on  implementation,  and 
that  this  contributes  to  frequent  post-adoption  amendments157.  The  Economic  and  Social 
Council  noted  that  for  certain  draft  laws,  public  consultations  were  launched  without 
accompanying RIAs, arguing that this hinders the proper and timely assessment of proposed 
measures158.  Stakeholders,  including  independent  authorities,  justice  professionals,  and 
business representatives, continue to stress the need for early engagement of interested parties 

150  Greek Government (2026c). 
151  Several  proposals  by  different  parties  were  also  submitted  in  parallel,  as  well  as  alternative  amendments, 

mainly through the parliamentary committee. 

152  The current Parliament must approve the provisions to be revised in two separate plenary votes and the next 
Parliament,  following  general  elections,  completes  the  revision  process.  Article  110  of  the  Greek 
Constitution. 

153   36 out of 40 public consultations (opengov.gr); Greek Government (2026a), written input, pp. 111-117.  
154   In  the  reporting  period,  9%  of  the  articles  included  in  the  published  law  were  not  submitted  for  public 
consultation (16.5% for 2024; 34% for the period 2020-2022). The Economic and Social Council proposed 
an  additional  consultation  period  when  a bill  submitted  to Parliament  differs  from  the  version  previously 
subject to public consultation. Economic and Social Council (2025b), p. 6. 

155   During the reporting period, 29 (out of 36) amendments were submitted the day before the discussion in the 
Plenary (44 out of 48 in the 2025 Report). The average number of provisions per amendment dropped to 4 
(4.5 between July 2024 and June 2025). See also, Plenary of Bar Associations (2026a); KEFIM (2026a and 
2026b) and Civil Society (2026a), pp. 61-62. 

156   European Semester 2026, Greece, pp. 12 and 67-68.  
157   OECD (2025), pp. 152-153; Greek Government (2026b), p. 11; ENNRHI (2026), p. 31. 
158   Often lacking such an analysis for most of the consultation period. Economic and Social Council (2025a), 

pp. 7-8. Civil Society (2026a), p. 59. 

17 

 
 
 
 
in the law-making process159. Efforts to promote the systematic codification of legislation are 
ongoing160.  However,  the  quality  of  legislation  is  adversely  affected  by  the  frequent 
legislative  changes,  often  within  very  short  time  frames  from  enactment  or  prior 
amendment161.  Fast-changing  legislation  is  frequently  quoted  as  a  key  challenge  for  doing 
business  in  the  country  and  is  the  main  reason  for  companies’  lack  of  confidence  in 
investment  protection162.  Judges,  lawyers  and  notaries  have  also  expressed  concerns  about 
consecutive changes in legislation, particularly procedural rules, as they affect legal certainty 
and undermine the stability, clarity and consistency of the legal framework163. Delays remain 
in  making  available  to  the  public  the  National  Codification  Portal,  a  database  designed  to 
provide free, consolidated, and up-to-date access to legislation164. A proposal to include the 
principles  of  good  legislation,  including  public  consultation  and  ex  post  evaluation,  in  the 
Constitution has been submitted in the context of the ongoing constitutional revision165.   

Less  than  a  third  of  companies  surveyed  in  Greece  express  confidence  in  the 
effectiveness of investment protection. 25% of companies are very or fairly confident that 
investments  are  protected  by  law  and  courts,  a  figure  which  has  slightly  decreased  in 
comparison  with  2025  (28%).  One  of  the  main  reasons  among  companies  for  their  lack  of 
confidence is concerns about quality, efficiency or independence of justice (38%). As regards 
authorities  relevant  for  economic  operators,  24%  of  companies  perceive  the  level  of 
independence of the national competition authority as very or fairly good, a figure which has 
significantly  decreased  in  comparison  with  2025  (41%)166.  The  Council  of  State  has 
jurisdiction  in  several  business-related  cases,  including  in  cases  related  to  public 
procurement,  public  concessions,  public  contracts  and  economic  regulation.  A  number  of 
judicial  mechanisms  to  improve  efficiency  are  available  in  these  cases,  including  the 
possibility to apply interim measures, joint examination of similar cases, the consolidation of 
multiple appeals 167. 

Reforms  seek  to  target  the  administration’s  delays  in  enforcing  final  judgments.  The 
current  remedy  before  the  three-member  compliance  committees168  was  considered 
ineffective  by  the  European  Court  of  Human  Rights,  as  it  lacks  mechanisms  to  expedite 

159   Country  visit  Greece,  Ombudsman,  DPA,  NCHR,  Greek  Bar  Associations,  Judicial  associations  and 

Business associations. 

160   Greek Government (2026a), written input, pp. 113-114.   
161   At  least  15  laws  enacted  in  2025  included  provisions  amending  legislation  adopted  the  same  year.  Since 
July  2025,  the  Code  of  Civil  Procedure  has  been  modified  several  times  with  further  extensive  changes 
introduced in February 2026 to correct shortcomings and supplement the provisions of Law 5221/2025.  
162   Figure  53,  2026  EU  Justice  Scoreboard.  40%  of  the  surveyed  investors  referred  to  frequent  changes  in 

legislation (58% in 2025). 

163   Country visit Greece,  Supreme Court, Council of State,  Judicial associations, Greek Bar Associations and 

Association of Notaries.  

164   The portal was set to launch by early 2025, but its development has faced technical difficulties due to the 
large,  fragmented  body  of  laws,  and  the  need  to  ensure  that  the  texts  are  accurate  and  up  to  date;  Greek 
Government (2026b), additional input, pp. 40-4; 2024 Rule of Law Report, Greece, p. 25.  

165  Greek Government (2026c). 
166   Figures 52, 53 and 60, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
167   Figures 66 and 67, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. The data presented reflects exclusively the mechanisms in 
place at the level of the highest administrative jurisdictions; the same or other mechanisms may be in place 
at lower instance administrative courts. 

168   Law 3068/2002. A three-member council in the  issuing jurisdiction reviews, upon request by the affected 
party,  if  the  administration  has  complied  with  the  judicial  decision  and,  if  not,  sets  a  deadline  for 
compliance. 

18 

 
 
 
execution  when  authorities  refuse  to  comply  with  final  judgments169.  In  response,  the 
Government has prepared draft legislation to reform the procedure. Key elements include the 
participation  of  the  administration  in  the  proceedings  before  the  compliance  committee, 
binding decisions specifying the required actions and the responsible bodies, daily penalties 
for  non-compliance  and  interim  measures  until  full  enforcement.  An  internal  monitoring 
mechanism  was  also  established  in  April  2026  tasking  internal  audit  units  with  tracking 
implementation, identifying systemic failures, and triggering disciplinary proceedings170.  

The  immunity  regime  for  members  of  Government  remains  debated,  with  broad 
agreement  on  the  need  for  reform.  Under  the  Constitution,  the  power  to  investigate  and 
prosecute former or  incumbent ministers rests solely  with  Parliament,  effectively  excluding 
such cases from the mandate of criminal justice authorities. Following the reform during the 
2019 constitutional revision171, the constitutional framework governing the criminal liability 
of  members  of  Government  is  currently  the  subject  of  further  revision  proposals  aimed  at 
strengthening accountability mechanisms, ensuring equal treatment under the law and helping 
restore  public  trust  in  institutions  and  the  justice  system.  Revising  Article  86  of  the 
Constitution  is  considered  a  priority  and  there  is  a  common  understanding  among 
stakeholders  that  the  requirement  for  parliamentary  approval  before  prosecuting  ministers 
should be abolished172. National prosecutors and the EPPO cite the existing legal framework 
on ministerial immunity as an institutional challenge to their work173. The ruling majority has 
proposed to transfer the investigation of alleged offences by ministers from Parliament to the 
ordinary judiciary, while Parliament would retain the power to decide, by absolute majority, 
whether to prosecute a minister or former minister for offences committed in the exercise of 
official duties174.  

Judicial scrutiny of certain aspects of the use of spyware continues. In February 2026, the 
first instance court of Athens delivered convictions against four individuals connected to the 
marketing  of  the  Predator  software  for  misdemeanour  offences,  including  breaches  of 
communication  privacy  and  unauthorised  data  access175.  The  court  also  transmitted  the 
records  of  the  proceedings  for  further  investigations  into  broader  offences  and  the  possible 
involvement of additional persons. The decision was widely welcomed by stakeholders as a 

169   Kanellopoulos  v.  Greece,  application  11325/06  (leading  case  under  supervision  at  the  Committee  of 
Ministers of the Council of Europe); Meletiou and Others v. Greece, application 28737/23 and Dervisis and 
Others v. Greece, application 55398/20. 

170   Internal  audit  units  under  Law  4975/2021  are  independent  bodies  within  public  entities  that  assess  the 

legality, efficiency and transparency of their operations. 

171  The  reform  abolished  the  special  short  statute  of  limitations  for  ministers’  criminal  liability,  aligning 
prosecution deadlines with the ordinary criminal law, while retaining Parliament’s role in investigating and 
authorising prosecution. 

172   Country visit Greece, Ministry of Justice, Greek Bar Associations, Judicial associations, Court of Audit and 

Civil Society Organisations; Greek Government (2026a), written input, pp. 136. 

173   Country  visit  Greece, prosecutors;  Greek  Government  (2026b), p.  23;  EPPO  (2026),  written  input,  p. 19. 
European Chief Public Prosecutor, press conference, Athens, October 2025. In late July 2025, following the 
transfer of information by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), Parliament rejected proposals 
to  initiate  a  formal  investigation  into  two  former  ministers  for  alleged  criminal  offences  related  to  the 
misuse of EU agricultural funds. In April 2026, another transfer of cases relating to agricultural subsidies 
included information on two former Members of Government, with the  Parliament rejecting in May 2026 
requests for a parliamentary investigation into possible criminal liability. 

174   Greek Government (2026c). 
175   The court ruled that the Predator software was used in 87 substantiated cases to target individuals, including 
politicians, journalists, military personnel, and business leaders. 2025 Rule of Law Report, Greece, p. 14.  

19 

 
 
 
step forward176. The defendants appealed, with the new trial scheduled for December 2026. In 
late  April,  the  General  Prosecutor  of  the  Supreme  Court,  tasked  with  overseeing  the  most 
serious strands of the investigation, declined to reopen the case, considering that the evidence 
presented  did  not  meet  the  threshold  for  new  facts.  The  decision  sparked  concerns  among 
journalists, victims, lawyers, opposition parties and civil society, including about a possible 
conflict of interest due to the General Prosecutor’s previous role in overseeing the National 
Intelligence Service during part of the period under investigation177. New requests to reopen 
the  case  have  been  submitted  and  certain  subsidiary  investigations  are  still  continuing  by 
lower prosecutors. Meanwhile, separate cases before the Council of State178 and the European 
Court of Human Rights regarding transparency and state obligations remain ongoing179. 

New staff positions have been approved for the Constitutional Independent Authorities, 
while  their  key  request  for  an  autonomous  staff  recruitment  system  remains  to  be 
addressed.  Prolonged  delays  in  appointing  members  of  Constitutional  Independent 
Authorities  persist  due  to  lack  of  political  consensus  in  the  Conference  of  Presidents  of 
Parliament,  the  competent  body  for  their  appointment180.  While  mandate  extensions  have 
ensured operational continuity in many cases, recent resignations underscore their limitations, 
and  the  forthcoming  constitutional  revision  invites  discussion  on  reviewing  mandate 
durations  and/or  introducing  further  anti-deadlock  safeguards181.  In  July  2025,  the  Data 
Protection Authority (DPA) was granted the power to amend its organigram, and in October 
2025 the Government approved several new staff positions for the Constitutional Independent 
Authorities182.  While  welcoming  the  additional  posts,  the  DPA  and  the  Ombudsperson 
stressed that  reliance on  centralised recruitment  leads to  rigid, excessively long  procedures, 
leaving  even  long-approved  posts  unfilled,  as  prolonged  hiring  procedures  deter  qualified 
candidates183.  Their  priority  remains  a  self-managed,  flexible  and  expedited  recruitment 
system enabling them to recruit, allocate and prioritise staff according to their needs. As an 
equality body under EU law, the Ombudsman is also required to recruit its own staff184. Other 
independent,  primarily  regulatory,  administrative  authorities  already  benefit  from  more 
flexible  processes185.  The  National  Commission  for  Human  Rights  (NCHR)  has  submitted 
proposals  to  the Government aimed at  strengthening  its institutional  capacity, including  the 
allocation  of  additional  staff  and  the  provision  of  enhanced  operational  tools,  to  ensure  the 

176  Civil Society (2026a); International Press Institute, RSF, CCBE, FRA (2026), written inputs, pp. 16-17, 19, 

17, 122 and 106 respectively. Country visit Greece, journalists, Greek Bar Associations and NCHR. 

177   The  Plenary  of  the  Bar  Associations  called  for  the  resignation  of  the  General  Prosecutor,  Plenary  of  Bar 

Associations (2026c) and (2026d). Civil Society (2026c), pp. 2-3. 

178   The case concerns a journalist’s request for disclosure of the  reasons for his surveillance by the National 
Intelligence Service, with the Council of State ordering the submission of the interception file in May 2026. 
179   Androulakis v. Greece, no 20986/24 relating to the phone interception of a Greek Member of the European 
Parliament  by  the  National  Intelligence  Service  and  its  alleged  refusal  to  disclose  the  reasons  for  the 
surveillance. 

180   The  appointments  of  a  new  Ombudsperson,  the  President  and  three  members  of  the  Data  Protection 
Authority (DPA) (expired in 2022), the President of the Authority for Communication Security and Privacy 
(ADAE),  two  Vice-Presidents  and  seven  members  of  the  Supreme  Council  for  Civil  Personnel  Selection 
(ASEP) (expired in 2025). See also, 2025 Rule of Law Report, Greece, pp. 18-19.   

181   The Head of ADAE resigned after the end of his mandate in July 2025 and the Head of DPA resigned in 
March 2025 after an extended mandate of almost nine years (instead of six). Venice Commission (2025). 

182   DPA: 20 positions; Ombudsman: 1; ADAE: 8 and ASEP:30. Greek Government (2026a), p. 120.  
183   The Constitutional Independent Authorities recruit their staff through selection procedures organised by the 

ASEP. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Greece, pp. 26-27. 

184   The  establishment  of  its  own  staff  selection  process  is  the  only  remaining  arrangement  for  the 
Ombudsperson to be fully compliant with the Principles of the Venice Commission (CDL-AD(2019)005-e).  
185   Law  5043/2023  introduced  exemptions  from  ASEP’s  standard  recruitment  procedures  for  several 

administrative authorities, with ASEP assuming a more limited role.   

20 

 
 
 
effectiveness  of  its  work186.  The  study  on  improving  the  institutional  arrangements  of  all 
existing  independent  authorities,  carried  out  by  the  OECD  and  funded  under  the  European 
Commission’s Technical Support Instrument, is currently being finalised187. 

Decisions  to  initiate  criminal  proceedings  for  two  incidents  involving  law  enforcement 
officers  have  been  welcomed  by  stakeholders,  while  deficiencies  remain  in  the 
investigation of alleged misconduct. In May 2026, the Prosecutor of the Court of Appeal of 
Piraeus  ordered  the  criminal  prosecution  of  the  commander  of  the  Hellenic  Coast  Guard 
vessel  involved  in  a  fatal  incident  back  in  2023.  This  followed  the  decision  to  expand  the 
indictment  related  to  the  Pylos  shipwreck,  in  November  2025,  adding  criminal  charges 
against four senior officers, including the Chief of the Hellenic Coast Guard188. Stakeholders 
welcomed developments in these two cases, while raising concerns about the effectiveness of 
criminal investigations in other cases that were subsequently archived189. In February 2026, 
the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy launched an administrative inquiry into 
the Pylos shipwreck to be carried out by the Chief of the Navy190. Disciplinary proceedings 
into  the  incident  have  yet  to  be  initiated,  in  line  with  repeated  requests  by  the 
Ombudsperson191.  In  another  recent  case,  the  Ombudsperson  reiterated  the  need  for  an 
independent, thorough and effective investigation, making concrete suggestions to this end192. 
More broadly, the Ombudsperson expressed concerns that all cases that his services referred 
to  the  competent  authorities  for  further  investigation  due  to  identified  shortcomings  were 
ultimately  archived193.  The  Committee  of  Ministers  of  the  Council  of  Europe  continues  to 
supervise  the  adoption  of  measures  concerning  the  lack  of  effective  investigation  in  the 
context of law enforcement194. In March 2026, the Committee of Ministers expressed regret 
at the lack of progress in the conduct of targeted wide-scale training activities for prosecutors 
and  judges,  including  of  naval  courts  and  urged  the  authorities  to  take  further  action195.  In 
May  2026,  the  National  Transparency  Authority  was  designated  as  the  independent 
monitoring  mechanism  for  fundamental  rights  during  border  screening  and  border  asylum 
procedures196.  Also,  a  new  disciplinary  framework  for  the  Coast  Guard  is  being  drafted, 
aiming to modernise its disciplinary system, including clearer offence classifications, updated 
procedural rules and new investigative mechanisms197. 

186   The  NCHR  is  the  National  Human  Rights  Institution,  accredited  with  A  status  by  the Global  Alliance  of 
Human Rights Institutions. As part of its re-accreditation process, the NCHR received recommendations to 
reinforce  its  independence,  effectiveness,  and  alignment  with  international  standards.  The  proposals 
submitted by the NCHR aim to comply fully with these recommendations. ENNHRI (2026), p. 5. 

187  Greek Government (2026c); 2025 Rule of Law Report, p. 19. 
188   Following an appeal by survivors. Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2026), p. 27; Civil Society (2026a), p. 

21. In May 2025, criminal charges were brought against 17 members of the Hellenic Coast Guard.  

189  Civil Society (2026a) and (2026b), pp. 5-6.    
190   Greek Government (2026b), additional written input, p. 59. 
191   The Ombudsperson found in February 2025 that the coast guard committed serious failures and referred the 
findings to the authorities for action. 2025 Rule of Law Report, Greece, p. 19. Greek Ombudsman (2026c). 
192   Including that the preliminary investigation and collection of evidence is not carried out by officers of the 
bodies  involved  in  the  incident.  Greek  Ombudsman  (2026a);  NCHR  (2026b);  Greek  Bar  Associations 
(2026).  

193   Greek Ombudsman (2025) and (2026d); ENNHRI (2026), pp. 35-36. 
194   In  the  context  of  the  execution  of  the  Sidiropoulos  and  Papakostas  and  Alkhatib  and  Others  groups  of 

cases. 

195   Council of Europe: Committee of Ministers (2026). 
196   With  a  mandate  to  oversee  compliance  with  fundamental-rights  standards  and  examine  allegations  of 
violations.  Article  39 of  Law  5303/2026  was  adopted  to  implement  requirements  stemming  from  the  EU 
Pact on Migration and Asylum. 

197   Greek Government (2026a), written input, p. 136. 

21 

 
 
 
On 1 January 2026, Greece had 36 leading judgments of the European Court of Human 
Rights  pending  implementation,  an  increase  of  6  compared  to  the previous  year198.  At 
that  time,  Greece’s  rate  of  leading  judgments  from  the  past  ten  years  that  had  been 
implemented  was  at  62%  (compared  to  66%  in  2025;  38%  remained  pending),  and  the 
average time that the judgments had been pending implementation was 5 years and 2 months 
(compared  to  6  years  and  1  month  in  2025)199.  The  oldest  leading  judgment,  pending 
implementation  for  18  years,  found  violations  of  freedom  of  association200.  As  regards  the 
respect  of  payment  deadlines,  on  31  December  2025  there  were  19  cases  in  total  awaiting 
confirmation  of  payments  (compared  to  7  in  2024)201.  On  17  June  2026,  the  number  of 
leading judgments pending implementation had increased to 40202. 

There has been some further progress on developing a regular and sustained structured 
dialogue and on simplifying registration requirements for civil society organisations in 
view  of  maintaining  an  open  framework  for  them  to  operate203.  Structured  dialogues 
should be regular, long-lasting and result-oriented in order to allow for effective engagement 
and participation of citizens and civil society organisations204. In May 2026, the Ministry of 
Asylum and Migration (MoMA) adopted a ministerial decision, which included a provision 
on  structured  dialogue  with  civil  society  organisations  and  committed  to  hold  regular 
meetings at least twice a year205. The MoMA held a first meeting in June 2026, during which 
they  presented  the  proposed  timeline,  structure,  thematic  pillars  and  collaborative  tools  to 
facilitate meaningful exchanges among participants. They have invited CSOs to provide their 
concrete proposals on the conduct of the dialogue in the coming months, ahead of a second 
meeting  scheduled  for  the  end  of  2026.  The  Ministry  of  Interior  plans  to  conduct  an 
electronic survey to map the needs of CSOs and hold dedicated meetings206. The number and 
complexity  of  registration  requirements  for  CSOs  remains  a  challenge.  In  February  2026, 
MoMA  amended  the  registration  requirements  for  its  two  Registries,  limiting  mandatory 
registration to  CSOs receiving state/EU funding or operating in  its facilities207, but  retained 
the requirement for all members, employees and associates of these CSOs to register. The list 
of  criminal  offenses  preventing  registration  was  expanded  to  include  not  only  final 
convictions  but  also  ongoing  prosecutions  of  CSOs’  legal  representatives.  A  ministerial 
decision  adopted  in  May  2026  introduced  some  positive  changes,  such  as  reducing 
documentation requirements and streamlining procedures by eliminating the need for a three-
member  committee’s  opinion.  However,  it  also  preserves  a  margin  of  administrative 

198   For an explanation of the supervision process, see the website of the Council of Europe. 
199   All figures calculated by the European Implementation Network (EIN) and based on the number of cases 
that are considered pending at the annual cut-off date of 1 January 2026. EIN (2026), written input, p. 4. 
200   Judgment of the ECtHR, 35151/05, Bekir-Ousta and Others v. Greece, pending implementation since 2008. 

ABTTF (2026), written input, pp. 9, 12 and 26.  

201   Council of Europe (2026), p. 162. 
202   Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC). 
203  The  2025  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  to  Greece  to  “develop  a  regular  and  sustained  structured 
dialogue with CSOs and simplify registration requirements in view of maintaining an open framework for 
them  to  operate”.  Limited  progress  was  assessed  on  this  recommendation  in  2025  and  some  progress  in 
2024 and 2023. 

204   European  Commission  Recommendation  (EU)  2023/2836  of  12  December  2023  on  promoting  the 
engagement and effective participation of citizens and civil society organisations in public policy-making 
processes. 

205   Ministerial decision 82876/2026; Greek Government (2026b), additional written input, pp. 50-51. 
206  Greek Government (2026c). 
207   The Registry of Greek and Foreign Non-Governmental Organisations (‘NGO Registry’) and the Registry of 
NGO  Members.  Law  5275/2026.  Under  the  previous  framework,  the  obligation  to  register  applied  to  all 
CSOs active in the fields of international protection, migration, and social inclusion. 

22 

 
 
 
discretion,  allowing  the  competent  authority  to  refuse  registration  on  the  basis  of  broader 
evaluative  considerations  extending  beyond  the  formal  fulfilment  of  the  prescribed  legal 
requirements208.  In  parallel,  the  anticipated  interoperable  information  system  among  the 
MoMA Registries and the Registries of the Ministry of Interior209 is expected to be completed 
in October 2026, to allow CSOs to submit data only once210. Meanwhile, in January 2026, the 
Ministry  of  Interior  created  a  new  platform,  the  Observatory  of  CSOs  and  Other  Non-
Commercial Entities, to map CSOs and enhance visibility and engagement211. The existence 
of different registries creates logistical challenges, as all are maintained in parallel, requiring 
the creation of interoperability databases212. Stakeholders criticized the measures213. Further 
delays  in  a  long-pending  case  before  the  Council  of  State,  challenging  CSO  registration 
requirements, with a new hearing held in late June 2026, impacts other court applications by 
CSOs214.  Overall,  while  the  registration  framework  remains  fragmented,  some  steps  have 
been  taken  and  the  basis  for  a  structured  dialogue  with  CSOs  has  been  laid.  There  has 
therefore been some further progress on the implementation of the recommendation.  

Civil  society  organisations,  particularly  those  active  in  migration  and  human  rights, 
face an increasingly challenging environment. Civic space in Greece continues to be rated 
as  “obstructed”  by  Civicus215.  In  February  2026,  CSO  membership  became  an  aggravating 
factor  in  certain  migration-related  offences,  meaning  that  CSO  members  can  face  harsher 
penalties216. The Minister of Migration can deregister a CSO after charges have been brought 
against one of its members, without awaiting a final court ruling. The Government maintains 
that  the  rules  promote  CSO  accountability,  while  humanitarian  actions  are  explicitly 
exempted217.  International  organisations,  including  the  United  Nations  and  the  Council  of 
Europe,  independent  authorities  and  other  stakeholders  have  been  very  critical218.  Civil 
society organisations warn that the law criminalises humanitarian work and creates a chilling 
effect219.  Several  public  statements  by  senior  government  officials  targeting  human  rights 

208   Ministerial decision 82876/2026, Article 3 para 4 c). 
209   The  Public  Database  and  the  Special  Registry  of  the  Ministry;  registration  is  required  to  apply  for  state 

funding. 2023 Rule of Law Report, Greece, p. 27. 
210   Greek Government (2026b and 2026c), pp. 53-54.  
211   Registration is free of charge and carried out electronically using the tax system credentials. Entities already 
in  the  two  Registries  of  the  Ministry  of  Interior  are  registered  automatically.  The  Observatory  will  also 
function as the Registry of Non-Commercial Economic Activity, provided by Law 4919/2022.   

212   There are more than eleven Registries managed by different ministries and additional ones held at local and 

regional level. 2025 Rule of Law Report, pp. 20-21. 

213   United  Nations  (2026);  Council  of  Europe,  Expert  Council  on  NGO  Law  (2026);  Greek  Ombudsman 

(2026); NCHR (2026a); Economic and Social Council of Greece (2026). 

214  The case was first heard by the Plenary of the Council of State in December 2022, but a new hearing was 
scheduled after the case was assigned to a different judge rapporteur. The delay has stalled several pending 
applications against registration refusals, as their proceedings remain suspended until the Council of State 
rules on the legality of the legal framework. Civil Society (2026b), pp. 10-12. 

215  The  score  is  51/100.  Rating  by  CIVICUS  are  on  a  five-category  scale  defined  as:  open,  narrowed, 

obstructed, repressed and closed; Civicus (2026), Monitor tracking civic space-Greece. 

216   Articles  15  and  16  of  Law  5275  /2026.  Membership  in  a  registered  CSO  increases  the  penalties  for 
facilitating entry, stay, or exit of third-country nationals, withholding travel documents, or submitting false 
information,  raising  imprisonment  from  1-2  years  to  up  to  10  years,  and  can  also  trigger  CSO 
deregistration. 

217   The aggravating factor is explained by the potential abuse or exploitation of one’s role as a CSO member, 
highlighting the contradiction between the criminal conduct and CSOs’ purpose of supporting international 
protection, migration, and social inclusion. Greek Government (2026b), additional written input, pp. 48-49. 
218   United  Nations  (2026);  Council  of  Europe,  Expert  Council  on  NGO  Law  (2026);  Greek  Ombudsman 

(2026a); NCHR (2026a); Economic and Social Council of Greece (2026); FRA (2026) p. 98. 

219   HIAS Greece (2026); Civil Society (2026a), pp. 82-83. 

23 

 
 
 
defenders,  legal  practitioners,  journalists  and  civil  society  organisations  have  prompted 
further reactions220.  

The Council of State is engaging in awareness campaigns to instil a rule of law culture 
among  young  people.  The  Council  of  State  hosts  study  visits  for  schools  and  universities, 
during  which  students  observe  trials  and  learn  about  the  Court’s  history,  functions  and  the 
broader institution of justice. Special mock trials are also organised for preschool children. In 
October 2025, the Council of State launched a cooperation with the Ministry of Education to 
explore  integrating  topics  such  as  the  justice  system,  rule  of  law  principles  and  legal 
awareness into school curricula. The Council of State is developing educational materials for 
distribution to schools as part of this221. 

220   United  Nations  (2025);  OHCHR  (2026),  FRA  (2026)  and  Human  Rights  Watch  (2026),  written  inputs, 
pp.6,  99-100,102,  and  3  respectively;  Council  of  Europe,  Conference  of  INGOs  (2025);  Greek  Bar 
Associations  (2026);  UNHCR/GNCHR  (2025);  ENNHRI  (2026),  pp.  14-16;  Civil  Society  (2026a  and 
2026b), pp. 86-88 and 2 respectively, Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2026), p. 25; Vouliwatch (2026). 

221   Greek Government (2026a), written input, pp. 23-24.  

24 

 
 
 
 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2026 Rule of Law Report 
can 
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2026-rule-law-report-targeted-
stakeholder-consultation_en. 

found 

be 

at 

Association of Administrative Judges (2026), Input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Association of Judges and Prosecutors (2025a), Press release of 23 July 2025. 

Association of Judges and Prosecutors (2025b), Statement of 21 November 2025.  

Association of Judges and Prosecutors (2025c), Press release of 25 November 2025. 

Association of Judges and Prosecutors (2026), Press release of 16 April 2026. 

Association of Judges of the Court of Audit (2026), Written input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report in 
the context of the country visit to Greece. 

Association of Prosecutors (2026), Press release of 8 April 2026. 

Athens Bar Association (2026), Statement on the Chios deadly shipwreck.   

Bodossaki  Foundation  (2025),  Action  Plan  for  Civil  Society,  https://www.bodossaki.gr/wp-
content/uploads/2025/03/ACTION-PLAN-FOR-CIVIL-SOCIETY-IN-GREECE.pdf.  

Centre for European Constitutional Law (2026), Input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Civicus (2026), Monitor tracking civic space – Greece, https://monitor.civicus.org/country/greece/. 

Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2026), Liberties Rule of Law Report 2026, Greece. 

Civil Society (2023), Input from Vouliwatch, Greek Council for Refugees, Refugee Support Aegean, 
HIAS Greece, Generation 2.0 for Rights, Equality and Diversity, Reporters United for the 2023 Rule 
of Law Report. 

Civil Society (2025), Input from the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), Hellenic League for Human 
Rights,  HIAS  Greece,  Homo  Digitalis,  Refugee  Support  Aegean  (RSA),  Reporters  United,  Solomon 
and Vouliwatch for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Civil Society (2026a), Input from the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), Hellenic League for Human 
Rights,  HIAS  Greece,  Homo  Digitalis,  Refugee  Support  Aegean  (RSA),  Reporters  United,  Solomon 
and Vouliwatch for the 2026 Rule of Law Report.  

Civil Society (2026b), Additional written input from the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), Hellenic 
League for Human Rights, HIAS Greece, Homo Digitalis, Refugee Support Aegean (RSA), Reporters 
United, Solomon and Vouliwatch for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Civil Society (2026c), Second additional written input from the Greek Council for Refugees (GCR), 
Hellenic  League  for  Human  Rights,  HIAS  Greece,  Homo  Digitalis,  Refugee  Support  Aegean (RSA), 
Reporters United, Solomon and Vouliwatch for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) (2026), Input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2025a),  CM/Del/Dec(2025)1545/H46-18  -  1545th 
meeting (2-4 December 2025) (DH) - H46-18 Bekir-Ousta and Others group v. Greece (Application 
No. 35151/05), https://search.coe.int/cm?i=09125948802992af.  

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2025b),  DH-DD(2025)1506  -  1553rd  meeting  (March 
2026)  (DH)  -  Action  report  (17/12/2025)  -  Communication  from  Greece  concerning  the  groups  of 
cases of Sidiropoulos and Papakostas v. Greece (Application No. 33349/10) and Alkhatib and Others 
v. Greece (Application No. 3566/16), https://search.coe.int/cm?i=091259488029dd24.   

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2026),  CM/Del/Dec(2026)1553/H46-19  -  1553rd 
meeting  (9-11  March  2026)  (DH)  -  H46-19  Sidiropoulos  and  Papakostas  and  Alkhatib  and  Others 

25 

 
 
groups 
https://search.coe.int/cm?i=09125948802aca97.  

Greece, 

v. 

(Applications 

Nos. 

33349/10, 

3566/16) 

Council  of  Europe:  Conference  of  INGOs  (2025),  Letter  from  the  President  of  the  Conference  of 
INGOs  and  the  President  of  its  Expert  Council  on  NGO  Law  to  the  Permanent  Representative  of 
Greece  to  the  Council  of  Europe,  https://rm.coe.int/cingo-letter-to-ambassador-nicolas-sigalas-
situation-in-greece-05-09-2/4880283f89. 

Council of Europe: Expert Council on NGO Law (2026), Opinion on the law of Greece “Law on the 
promotion  of  legal  migration  policies”,  https://rm.coe.int/coe-expert-council-greece-opinion-march-
2026/48802affcd.   

Council  of  Europe,  Platform  to  promote  the  protection  of  journalism  and  safety  of  journalists  – 
Greece, Alerts | Safety of journalists platform. 

Council of Europe (2026), Supervision of the execution of judgments decisions of the European Court 
of Human Rights – 19th Annual Report of the Committee of Ministers – 2025, https://rm.coe.int/2025-
annual-report/48802b1633.   

Council  of  Europe:  Venice  Commission  (2019),  Principles  on  the  Protection  and  Promotion  of  the 
Ombudsman 
CDL-AD(2019)005-e, 
Venice 
("The 
https://www.venice.coe.int/webforms/documents/?pdf=CDL-AD(2019)005-e.  

Principles"), 

Institution 

Council  of  Europe:  Venice  Commission  (2025),  Updated  Compilation  of  Venice  Commission 
Opinions and Reports relating to qualified majorities and anti-deadlock mechanisms in relation to the 
election by Parliament of Constitutional and Supreme Courts judges/presidents, Prosecutors General, 
members  of  Judicial  and  Prosecutorial  Councils, 
independent/non-political  bodies  and 
Ombudspersons,  CDL-PI(2025)023,  https://www.coe.int/en/web/venice-commission/-/cdl-pi-2025-
023-e 

Council of State (2026), Proposals, in the event of a constitutional revision, regarding: a) the method 
of  selecting  the  President  and  the  Vice  Presidents  of  the  Supreme  Courts;  b)  the  composition  and 
functioning of the Supreme Judicial Councils; and c) the establishment of a National Council for the 
Judiciary. 

 Economic and Social Council (2025a), Opinion of the Economic and Social Council on the draft law 
“Digital enhancement of road safety and other provisions”.  

Economic and Social Council (2025b), Opinion of the Economic and Social Council on the draft law 
“Fair Work for All: Simplification of Legislation – Support for Workers – Protection in Practice”. 

Economic and Social Council (2026), Opinion of the Economic and Social Council on Opinion on the 
Draft Law “Promotion of Legal Migration Policies”. 

European Association of Judges (2026), Resolution concerning abusive behaviour by lawyers towards 
judges in Greece.  

European  Centre  for  Press  and  Media  Freedom,  Media  Freedom  Rapid  Response  Mechanism  – 
Greece (2025), Press Freedom Violations Monitoring. 

European Commission (2025), 2025 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Greece.  

European Commission (2024), 2024 Rule of Law report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Greece.  

European Commission (2023), 2023 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Greece. 

European Commission (2023), Commission Recommendation (EU) 2023/2836 of 12 December 2023 
on promoting the engagement and effective participation of citizens and civil society organisations in 
public policy-making processes. 

26 

 
 
European Commission (2026), EU Justice Scoreboard.  

European Commission (2025), EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European  Commission  (2026),  2026  Country  Report  –  Greece,  Accompanying  the  document 
Recommendation for a Council Recommendation on the economic, social, employment, structural and 
budgetary policies of Greece, SWD (2026) 208 final. 

European Commission (2026), Flash Eurobarometer 582 on Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption 
in the EU. 

European Commission (2026), Special Eurobarometer 573 on Citizens’ attitudes towards corruption 
in the EU. 

European Court of Human Rights, judgment of 11 October 2007, Bekir-Ousta and Others v. Greece, 
35151/05. 

European  Court  of  Human  Rights, 
Greece, 11325/06. 

judgment  of  21  February  2008,  Kanellopoulos  v. 

European  Court  of  Human  Rights,  judgment  of  25  January  2018,  Sidiropoulos  and  Papapokostas, 
33349/10.  

European Court of Human Rights, judgment of 16 January 2024, Alkhatib and Others, 3566/16. 

European Court of Human Rights, judgment of 26 August 2025, Vervele v. Greece, 34012/20. 

European  Court  of  Human  Rights,  judgment  of  12  September  2025,  M.P.  and  others  v.  Greece, 
2068/24. 

European  Court  of  Human  Rights,  judgment  of  23  October  2025,  Dervisis  and  Others  v.  Greece, 
55398/20. 

European  Court  of  Human  Rights,  judgment  of  26  February  2026,  Meletiou  and  Others  v.  Greece, 
28737/23. 

EU  Fundamental  Rights  Agency (2026),  2025  Civic space  developments,  Input to  the  2026  Rule of 
Report and Annex. 

European Implementation Network (2026), Input the European Implementation Network for the 2026 
Rule of Law Report. 

European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (2025), Survey among judges on the Independence of 
the 
https://pgwrk-websitemedia.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/production/pwk-web-
encj2017-p/Report%20ENCJ%20Survey%20on%20Independence-compressed_0.pdf.  

Judiciary, 

European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (2026), Input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) (2026), State of the rule of law 
in  Europe.  Reports  from  National  Human  Rights  Institutions,  2026  Greece  country  report,  2026 
Greece country report | ENNHRI.  

European Public Prosecutor’s Office (2026), Input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (2026), Input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

General  Commissioner  of  the  ordinary  administrative  courts  (2026),  General  Report  on  the 
Operations of the ordinary administrative courts in 2025 

GRECO  (2020),  Fifth  Evaluation  Round,  Evaluation  Report  Greece,  https://rm.coe.int/fifth-
evaluation-round-preventing-corruption-and-promoting-integrity-i/1680a5a148.  

Greek Government (2026a), Input from Greece for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Greek Government (2026b), Additional written contribution for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Greek Government (2026c), Additional comments to the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

27 

 
 
Greek  Ombudsman  (2025),  2024  Special  Report,  National  Mechanism  for  the  Investigation  of 
Arbitrary Incidents.  

Greek Ombudsman (2026a), Comments on the draft law on the promotion of legal migration policies, 
27 January 2026. 

Greek Ombudsman (2026b), Press Release: The Ombudsman calls for an investigation into the fatal 
incident off Chios.  

Greek  Ombudsman  (2026c),  Press  Release:  The  Ombudsman  for  the  progress  of  the  disciplinary 
investigation into the Pylos shipwreck. 

Greek Ombudsman (2026d), Press Release: Report on the death of a Pakistani national in a police 
station in Athens on 21 September 2024. 

Hellenic Police (2026), additional written input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

HIAS  Greece 
https://hias.org/statements/joint-civil-society-statement-migration-ministry-bill/.   

(2026),  Joint  Civil  Society  Statement  on 

the  Migration  Ministry  Bill, 

Human Rights Watch (2026), Greece Rule of Law Update.  

International Press Institute (2026), Input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Judicial associations (2025), Joint Petition to the Minister of Finance, 4 September 2025.  

KEFIM (2025) Quality of Law-Making Index 2024. 

KEFIM (2026a), Despite some individual improvements, the legislative process in Greece is carried 
out  on  the  fly,  https://kefim.org/para-tis-epimerous-veltioseis-i-nomothetiki-diadikasia-stin-ellada-
ginetai-sto-podi/  

KEFIM 
https://kefim.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/PB_No9_26_Tropologies.pdf 

(2026b),  Policy  brief:  What 

time  are  amendments  submitted 

to  Parliament? 

Media Pluralism Monitor (2026), Greece country report. 

National  Commission  for  Human  Rights  (2026a),  Statement  on  the  provisions  of  the  draft  law  that 
target CSOs.  

National  Commission  for  Human  Rights  (2026b),  Statement:  Absolute  necessity  for  an  immediate, 
thorough, and effective investigation into the deadly shipwreck near Chios. 

National Council for Radio and Television (NCRTV) (2026), Input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

National Transparency Authority (NTA 2026), Written input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report in the 
context of the country visit to Greece. 

National  Transparency  Authority  (NTA  2026a),  Additional  written  input  for  the  2026  Rule  of  Law 
Report in the context of the country visit to Greece. 

National  Transparency  Authority  (2026b),  External  Evaluation:  Effectiveness  ESSKD  2022-2025 
Final Report. 

National  Transparency  Authority  (2024),  Annual  Report,  https://aead.gr/en/publications-en/reports-
en/annual-report-nta-2024.    

(2025), 

OECD 
Union 
https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/better-regulation-practices-across-the-european-union-
2025_6f007516-en/full-report.html. 

Regulation 

European 

across 

Better 

the 

2025, 

Parliament  Committee  for  the  Investigation  of  Declaration  of  Assets  (CIDA)  (2026),  Additional 
written input for the Rule of Law Report. 

Plenary of Bar Associations (2026a), Coordination Committee: Immediate abolition of article 1536(2) 
of the Civil Code.  

28 

 
 
Plenary  of  Bar  Associations  (2026b),  Decisions  on  legal  practice  and  other  major  issues  of  legal 
current affairs, 8 March 2026. 

Plenary  of  Bar  Associations  (2026c),  Resolution  –  Extraordinary  Board  Meeting  of  the  Athens  Bar 
Association on the wiretapping case, 29 April 2026. 

Plenary  of  Bar  Associations  (2026d),  Press  conference  at  the  Athens  Bar  Association  on  telephone 
wiretapping. 

Reporters Without Borders (2026), Input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Supreme Court (2025), Press release, 28 November 2025. 

UNHCR/NCHR  (2025),  Joint  Statement,  UNHCR  and  GNCHR  express  concern  over  rhetoric 
undermining 
society,  https://www.unhcr.org/gr/en/news/announcements/unhcr-and-gnchr-
express-concern-over-rhetoric-undermining-civil-society.   

civil 

United  Nations  (2025),  Mandates  of  the  Special  Rapporteur  on  the  situation  of  human  rights 
defenders; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association 
and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, AL GRC 2/2025, 16 September 2025, 
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=30349#:
~:text=On%2020%20August%202025%2C%20the,of%20asylum%2C%20or%20misuse%20funds.   

United  Nations  (2026),  Mandates  of  the  Special  Rapporteur  on  the  situation  of  human  rights 
defenders; the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; 
the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; the Special Rapporteur on the 
human rights of migrants and the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and 
2026, 
children, 
https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=30750.  

February 

1/2026, 

GRC 

ref. 

OL 

19 

UN  Human  Rights  Regional  Office  for  Europe  (OHCHR)  (2026),  Input  for  the  2026  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

Vouliwatch  (2026),  Civic  Space  Contraction  in  Greece:  Governmental  Delegitimisation  of  an 
Independent Civil Society Organisation. 

29 

 
 
Annex II: Country visit to Greece 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in March 2026 with: 

•  Association of Administrative Judges 
•  Association of Judges and Prosecutors 
•  Association of Judges of the Court of Audit 
•  Association of Notaries 
•  Committee of Parliament for the Investigation of Declarations of Assets (CIDA) 
•  Council of State 
•  Court of Audit 
•  Federation of Industries of Greece (SVE) 
•  Foreign Press Association Greece 
•  Greek Bar Associations 
•  Greek Council for Refugees 
•  Greek Ombudsman 
•  Hellenic Data Protection Authority 
•  Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV) 
•  Hellenic League for Human Rights 
•  Hellenic Single Public Procurement Authority (HSPPA) 
•  HIAS Greece 
•  Homo Digitalis 
•  Ministry of Citizen Protection, Hellenic Police 
•  Journalists' Union of Athens Daily Newspaper (ESIEA) 
•  Ministry of Interior 
•  Ministry of Justice 
•  Ministry of Migration and Asylum 
•  National Association of National Private Broadcasters 
•  National Audiovisual Regulator 
•  National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) 
•  National Transparency Authority 
•  Office of the Prosecutors to the Supreme Court and Office of the Prosecutor for 
•  Financial Crimes 
•  Panhellenic Federation of Journalists' Unions (POESY) 
•  Refugee Support Aegean 
•  Reporters United 
•  Secretariat General for Communication and Media 
•  Solomon 
•  Supreme Court 
•  Transparency International Greece 
•  Vouliwatch 

* The Commission also met the following organisations in a number of horizontal meetings:  

•  Civil Liberties Union for Europe 
•  Civil Society Europe 

30 

 
 
 
•  End FGM EU 
•  European Civic Forum 
•  European Partnership for Democracy 
•  Human Rights Watch 
• 
ILGA-Europe 
• 
International Federation for Human Rights 
•  Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association 
•  Transparency International EU  

31