Law No. 3208/2003. Protection of forest ecosystems, regulation of rights over forests and forestal areas and other provisions. Country/Territory Greece Document type Legislation Date 2003 Source FAO, FAOLEX Original source Efimeris tis Kyverniseos No. 303, Part I, 24 December 2003, pp. 5181-5199. Subject Fisheries, Forestry Keyword Aquaculture Authorization/permit Legal proceedings/administrative proceedings Agro-forestry Framework law Ecosystem preservation Forest management/forest conservation Forest service/forest officers Marking/identification Policy/planning Private forest Public forest Biodiversity Trade in species Geographical area Europe, Europe and Central Asia, European Union Countries, Mediterranean, Southern Europe Entry into force notes The law shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Gazette unless otherwise provided for by the individual sections of this law. Abstract The law provides for a wide range of matters regarding forest ecosystems, rights over forests and forestal areas, environmental protection. It also makes extensive amendments to a number of other legislative texts. Article 2 of the Law makes provisions for the protection of the landscape and biodiversity. It is mentioned that the planning of management and exploitation of forest ecosystems have to ensure the protection of landscape and the conservation of biodiversity. In this framework, the creation of agrobiotopes by environmental organizations and owners of agricultural land is supported financially. The procedure for constituting a Forest Inventory is described in article 3 of the law. The inventory will be based on the type of forest vegetation. The competent bodies are appointed in the same article. In article 8 is defined the procedure for financing the works and activities for development, exploitation and protection of the forest and hunting resources of the country. According to paragraph 1, article 19 of the law, and for the purposes of environmental protection and promotion of the national economy, those forests whose management and exploitation has been abandoned over the past twenty years shall come under the management of the competent Forest Authority. Paragraph 3 of this article establishes working groups consisting of specialist scientists for the constitution of the Greek Standards for timber and the rest forest products of primary production, as well as the products of their primary processing. Moreover, it is decided to determine the procedure and the definition of the conditions for the establishment of a mark and the issue of a quality certificate. In paragraph 6 of this article is given provision for three-months’ training on the subject of forest protection for forest rangers, forest protection employees and technical drivers. In the same article, paragraph 11 states that all duties concerning leasing marine sites, renewing lease, issuing License for Project Establishment and Operation to aquaculture farms is devolved to the General Secretariat of the respective Region (which is the competent regional authority of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food). The establishment of offices and positions for the implementation of the Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora (CITES Convention) is arranged under article 20 of the law. More specifically, a Department entitled “International Conventions” is established and shall be responsible for the supervision and the implementation of the Convention and the issue of the relevant permits to the Greek State. The new Department shall fall under the competency of the Administration of Aesthetic Forests, National Parks and Hunting of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, which is appointed as the Central Administrative Authority. Respectively, in regional forest administrations are established offices entitled «International Conventions’», which are assigned to the aforementioned administration and the relevant positions are created. Full text Greek References - Legislation Amends Law No. 998 on the protection of forests and forestal areas. Legislation | Greece | 1979 Keyword: Basic legislation, Forest management/forest conservation, Forestry protection measures Source: FAO, FAOLEX Amended by Law no. 4964/2022 concerning provisions for the simplification of environmental licensing, establishing a framework for the development of Offshore Wind Farms, dealing with the energy crisis, environmental protection and other provisions. Legislation | Greece | 2022 Keyword: Energy conservation/energy production, Natural gas, Renewable energy, Transport/storage, Framework law, Legal proceedings/administrative proceedings, Climate change, Financing, Hazardous waste, Inspection, Protection of environment, Recycling/reuse, Risk assessment/management, Sustainable development, Waste management, Waste non-domestic sources, Flood, Marine area, Tourism, Land-use planning, Aquaculture, Agro-forestry, Classification/declassification, Ecosystem preservation, Forest fires, Forest management/forest conservation, Forest service/forest officers, Forestry protection measures, Protected area, Timber extraction/logging, National parks, Animal production, Packaging/labelling, Inland waters Source: FAO, FAOLEX