GREECE Trends and Developments Contributed by: Dimitris Emvalomenos, Bahas, Gramatidis & Partners
and administrative proceedings and sanc - tions imposed (Articles 1a.1, 7 and previous Articles 10, 13a and 13b of Law 2251). • Lastly, in 2022–2024, further changes were enacted, including significant modifications affecting product liability, such as: (a) the new legal framework on collective redress in force as of 26 June 2023; and (b) a new set of rules on compliance supervi - sion, enforcement measures and sanc - tions (new Articles 10a–10r, 13a–13i and 14 of Law 2251). Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) – mediation The EU legislation on the ADR of 2013 also changed Greece’s legal landscape. Specifically, Ministerial Decision 70330/30.6.2015 imple - mented Directive 2013/11/EU “on alternative dispute resolution for consumer disputes” (the “ADR Directive” ) and set supplementary rules for the application of the Online Dispute Resolution Regulation (EU) 524/2013 ( “the ODR Regula- tion” ). The EU ADR rules are under revision. • On 17 October 2023, the European Commis - sion issued its proposal for the amendment of the ADR Directive and the repeal of the ODR Regulation towards a new ADR framework replacing the ODR platform by user-friendly digital tools to assist consumers in finding a redress tool to resolve their dispute and incentivise online marketplaces and EU trade associations having a dispute resolution mechanism to get aligned with the quality criteria in the ADR Directive. • Within this frame, the ODR Regulation was repealed by Regulation (EU) 2024/3228, which discontinued the European Online
Dispute Resolution Platform with effect from 20 July 2025. The Registered Greek ADR entities within the above-mentioned framework are as follows: • the Hellenic Consumers’ Ombudsman , the key ADR authority for consumers and all sec - tors (Law 3297/2004); • the (sectoral) Hellenic Financial Ombudsman, a non-profit ADR Organisation (HFO ADRO, formerly HOBIS) – also part of the European Financial Dispute Resolution Network (FIN- NET) for credit/financial cross-border dis - putes; • the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre ( “ADR point” ) • the Institute for Alternative Dispute Resolution( “StartADR” ) and • more recently, the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water (RAAEY), which put into operation the “Hellenic Energy Ombuds- man” from 1 February 2024. Moreover, various other Greek bodies/authori - ties exist for ADR, and these have increased in number continuously in the recent years. They include: • the Greek Ombudsman (known in Greece as the “Citizen Ombudsman” Law 2477/1997), which deals with disputes between citizens (in general) on the one hand, and public authori - ties, public entities, and utilities municipalities on the other; • out-of-court redress for the settlement of disputes between customers and insurance distributors, which is managed in Greece by the above registered ADR entities (Law 4583/2018, which implemented Directive 2016/97/EC);
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