Basic Act No. 3937 on the Conservation of Biodiversity.

This Act, consisting of six Chapters divided into 36 articles, aims at the sustainable management and effective conservation of biodiversity as a valuable, irreplaceable national asset of the diversity of living organisms of all origins, including: terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and ecological complexes to which they belong. The maintenance of biodiversity requires planning and management processes, which ensure a broad consultation phase in order to exploit the best scientific knowledge and the available know-how. The specific objectives are as follows: a) Effective implementation of European Union legislation and international law on the conservation of biodiversity; b) Inclusion of biodiversity conservation objectives at all planning levels and in the sectoral and development policies of the country; c) Acquiring knowledge of the status of species and ecosystems as a key tool for effectively preserving and managing biodiversity; d) Effective conservation and management of important areas for biodiversity through the optimal organization and operation of the national system of protected areas; e) Achieve a satisfactory conservation status of biodiversity, including habitats and species of flora and fauna and other groups of organisms, especially those identified as important, rare or threatened; f) Effective surveillance mechanisms to ensure the implementation of the institutional framework for the conservation of biodiversity; g) Promoting the importance of preserving biodiversity and protected areas in general in society
The National System of Protected Areas consists of all areas falling under one or more of the categories of Article 19 of Law No. 1650/1986 (Government Gazette 160 A), aiming at the effective protection of their biodiversity and other ecological values, in accordance with the provisions of this Law. Without prejudice to paragraph 3, the following restrictions apply to Natura 2000 sites: it is prohibited to install particularly impacting and dangerous industrial installations falling under the provisions of Directive 96/82/EC (L 10). It also specifies the national List of areas included in the Community Natura 2000 network. The Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate Change, in collaboration with the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Islands and Fisheries, compiles a national list of important flora, fauna and other groups of organisms, as well as natural habitats part of the national inventory of the Greek biodiversity referred to in Article 17, subdivided into categories of protection and approved by decision of the Ministers of Environment, Energy and Climate Change and Rural Development and Food. Protection categories are considered to be the categories at risk of national red lists and the main lists of threatened species. The Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, in cooperation with ministries and other relevant bodies, shall develop and implement action plans, giving priority to: a) issues whose protection and management is required by international conventions ratified by Greece and by European Union law; b) species included in the national and international red list risk categories; c) endemic species; d) species with a particularly fragmented distribution; e) important species for local communities (food, raw materials, traditional medicines), even if they are not included in the red list.
In addition, the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change is preparing a national plan to adapt habitat and flora and fauna management actions according to the impacts of climate change. In particular, with regard to coastal zones, the Ministry of the Environment, Energy and Climate Change shall issue guidelines to the competent authorities for the implementation of the principles of Integrated Coastal Zone Management, in accordance with the recommendations of Recommendation 2002/413/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (L 148).