Legislative Framework
| European Directive 2019/882 on accessibility requirements for products and services. Transposition of the Directive through Law No. 4994/2012 (Government Gazette B’ 215/18-11-2022). | CHAPTER B ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND FREE CIRCULATION Article 5, Accessibility requirements (Article 4 of Directive (EU) 2019/882). |
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Law 4067/2012 New Building Design, Law 4782/2021 Among other provisions, provisions for safety, development, and health.
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Article 26 Special arrangements for the needs of people with disabilities or obstructed individuals. Article 210 Accessibility without barriers for people with disabilities and obstructed individuals Amendment of Article 26 of Law 4067/2012. In force. |
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Ministerial Decision 216/2015, Determination of technical and operational specifications and graded criteria for hotels and their classification into star categories.
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Article 5 Provisions for people with disabilities or obstructed individuals 1. Hotels are subject to the provisions of Article 26 of Law 4067/2012 (Government Gazette A’ 79) regarding the service of people with disabilities and obstructed individuals. 2. The minimum number of rooms for persons with reduced mobility (PRM) in hotels is set at a rate of 5% of the total capacity of the accommodation. The application of the above percentage is mandatory up to a total of five (5) rooms for PRM. 3. For the design of spaces aimed at serving PRM, the provisions of Article 26 of Law 4067/2012 and Circular 9 with Ref. No. 29467/1362012 from the Office of Studies for Persons with Disabilities (PWD) of the Ministry οf Labour, Social Insurance and Social Solidarity. |
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Competitiveness/124964/1561 Replacement of Ministerial Decision No. 52907/2009 “Special arrangements for the needs of people with disabilities in communal areas of settlements intended for pedestrian circulation” (Government Gazette’ 2621). (Government Gazette 6213/B/7-12-2022).
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United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (with Optional Protocol)
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The international legislation, namely the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol, the broader legislation of the European Union, as well as domestic law, such as the Greek Constitution, which guarantees the right to equality in general, and specifically the right to equality in information, the right to personal dignity, and the right to equal treatment of all citizens of the state, all ensure full equality, non-discrimination, and mandatory accessibility for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in public spaces in general, including dining and cultural spaces. They also demand strict adherence to the above.
Specifically, the Constitution of Greece, in Article 21, focuses on persons with disabilities and states: “Persons with disabilities have the right to enjoy measures that ensure their autonomy, professional integration, and participation in the social, economic, and political life of the country”.
International and European obligations compel our country to fulfill the accessibility requirements for PWDs in all services, subject to urban planning regulations and all prerequisites of urban planning legislation. Moreover, the entirety of legislative provisions mandates access for PWDs to public spaces, settlements, and hotels.
Finally, based on the current framework of rules, unrestricted access for PWDs to all buildings constructed since the inception of the law in 2012 onwards is required, with some specific exceptions. Specifically, unhindered access of individuals within and outside buildings and the ability to use sanitary facilities are legally guaranteed. This also applies to the building facilities of cultural spaces.