{"id":17214,"date":"2025-12-15T15:27:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-15T12:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tmede.gr\/english\/?p=17214"},"modified":"2026-02-10T15:29:25","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T12:29:25","slug":"giorgos-george-stasinos-speed-in-planning-and-adherence-to-timelines-for-addressing-pressing-challenges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tmede.gr\/english\/2025\/12\/15\/giorgos-george-stasinos-speed-in-planning-and-adherence-to-timelines-for-addressing-pressing-challenges\/","title":{"rendered":"Giorgos (George) Stasinos: Speed in Planning and Adherence to Timelines for Addressing Pressing Challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"

Giorgos (George) Stasinos: Speed in Planning and Adherence to Timelines for Addressing Pressing Challenges<\/h3><\/h1><\/div>
Giorgos Stasinos, President of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE – TCG), referred to the\u00a0first-ever implementation of comprehensive urban planning in Greece<\/b>, the development of\u00a0early flood-risk forecasting systems<\/b>, the creation of a\u00a0National Infrastructure Registry for systematic maintenance<\/b>, and the need for\u00a0both immediate and long-term interventions to address traffic congestion<\/b>, during his address at the 2nd International Conference\u00a0\u201cRedefining the Future Horizons: Designing the Sustainable Strategies of Tomorrow.\u201d<\/i><\/div>\n
Speaking at the Conference, held on 9\u201310 December at the building of the Bank of Greece Employees\u2019 Association (SYTE) on Sina Street in Athens, Mr. Stasinos sent a clear message on the\u00a0urgency of accelerating planning processes and adhering strictly to timelines<\/b>, in order to effectively address increasingly pressing challenges.<\/div>\n
The Conference was held under the auspices of the Bank of Greece\u00a0and the Technical Chamber of Greece, underscoring its strong institutional standing and the elevated level of dialogue fostered by TMEDE\u00a0in the critical field of sustainable development.<\/div>\n
Referring to the ongoing urban planning reform, Mr. Stasinos estimated that\u00a070\u201380% of the relevant studies will be completed by May<\/b>, highlighting the unprecedented scale of the undertaking. Approximately\u00a0200 Local and Special Urban Plans<\/b>\u00a0are expected to be completed within three years \u2014 a process that, at previous administrative speeds, would have required nearly a century.<\/div>\n
He stressed that, following the completion of the studies, further processing by committees of the Ministry of Environment and Energy will be required, before submission to the Council of State (CoS) for approval, underlining the need for adequate preparation to absorb and process this volume of planning work.<\/div>\n
Reduced Construction Activity in Mykonos and Santorini<\/b><\/div>\n
Addressing questions on Mykonos and Santorini, Mr. Stasinos noted that studies for both islands have been completed and will constitute the\u00a0first Special Urban Plans<\/b>\u00a0to be submitted to the Council of State within 2026.<\/div>\n
Using Mykonos as an example, he explained that\u00a0buildable areas are being reduced by 20\u201340%<\/b>, as certain zones are designated as protected, while\u00a0minimum plot size requirements are being increased<\/b>\u00a0\u2014 to 8 hectares in general and to 30 hectares for hotel developments.
\nIn Santorini, minimum plot sizes are set even higher. Mr. Stasinos described the plan for Santorini as\u00a0\u201coverly conservative,\u201d<\/b>\u00a0as it leaves very limited scope for new tourist developments. Nevertheless, he stressed that construction activity for tourism facilities on both islands is currently\u00a0effectively frozen<\/b>, making the advancement of planning imperative.<\/div>\n
He also observed that\u00a0\u201cmuch depends on the priorities of each mayor,\u201d<\/b>\u00a0adding that while political pressure often interferes with what should be a strictly scientific process,\u00a0the absence of urban planning is a far worse outcome<\/b>.<\/div>\n
Mr. Stasinos expressed cautious optimism regarding broader developments in construction regulation, referring to the planned\u00a0revision of the Building Code in 2026<\/b>, to be enacted via Presidential Decree and approved by the Council of State, in order to avoid constitutional challenges. He also welcomed the planned\u00a0transfer of Urban Planning Offices (YDOM) to the Hellenic Cadastre<\/b>, while criticising cases in which different officials within the same planning authority apply the law inconsistently.<\/div>\n
He strongly condemned practices whereby mayors instruct services not to apply existing legislation, stating unequivocally that\u00a0\u201ca mayor cannot act unlawfully with impunity.\u201d<\/b><\/div>\n
Early Flood-Risk Forecasting Is Essential<\/b><\/div>\n
During a discussion with journalist Stelios Morfidis on\u00a0\u201cFrom Planning Resilient Infrastructure to Implementation: Modern Standards, Digitalisation and New Technologies,\u201d<\/i>\u00a0Mr. Stasinos placed particular emphasis on\u00a0early flood-risk forecasting<\/b>, in light of recent extreme weather events.<\/div>\n
He stressed that floods entail\u00a0the highest level of political responsibility<\/b>, as they can often be anticipated \u2014 unlike earthquakes \u2014 highlighting the urgent need for\u00a0early-warning systems<\/b>, citizen alerts, and precise identification of the most vulnerable areas.<\/div>\n
Mr. Stasinos referred to a relevant project proposed by TEE to the State, estimating that it could be completed within the next three years. He recalled that master plans must be finalised and necessary works implemented, noting critically that\u00a0in Greece, projects are often selected based on study readiness rather than actual need<\/b>, leading to misaligned priorities.<\/div>\n
Immediate and Long-Term Measures Needed to Address Traffic Congestion<\/b><\/div>\n
Referring to recent heavy rainfall and the resulting paralysis of transport in Attica, Mr. Stasinos stressed the need for\u00a0both short-term relief measures and long-term infrastructure projects<\/b>.<\/div>\n
He reiterated proposals to restrict freight traffic during peak morning hours (7:00\u201310:00), initially, with a similar restriction during afternoon peak hours (16:00\u201319:00). Regarding major infrastructure projects, he emphasised the urgency of advancing the\u00a0extension of Kymi Avenue<\/b>, the\u00a0Elefsina\u2013Thebes road axis<\/b>, and the\u00a0connection between the Hymettus Ring Road and Vouliagmenis Avenue<\/b>.<\/div>\n
While underlining the importance of public transport in addressing congestion, Mr. Stasinos expressed scepticism regarding the delivery timeline of\u00a0Metro Line 4<\/b>, stating that it is\u00a0unlikely to be completed even by 2032<\/b>, due to the absence of accountability when project timelines are not respected \u2014 with citizens ultimately bearing the consequences.<\/div>\n
Claiming European Funding for Infrastructure Maintenance<\/b><\/div>\n
Mr. Stasinos also focused on the\u00a0ageing state of infrastructure<\/b>, warning that even advanced economies face severe maintenance challenges \u2014 an issue that Greece will inevitably confront.<\/div>\n
He referred to the\u00a0National Infrastructure Registry<\/b>, developed by TEE, which serves as a central platform for recording all infrastructure assets and their condition. He acknowledged the reluctance of local authorities to input data, primarily due to the lack of funding for maintenance works.<\/div>\n
Reiterating the need to\u00a0secure European funding dedicated to infrastructure maintenance<\/b>, Mr. Stasinos also proposed innovative tools, such as\u00a0extending concession periods<\/b>\u00a0in exchange for maintenance obligations by concessionaires. He further suggested that introducing\u00a0personal accountability mechanisms<\/b>\u00a0for infrastructure managers could significantly improve data reporting.<\/div>\n
As an example, he cited the\u00a0mandatory pre-seismic inspection of public buildings<\/b>, implemented by TEE, under which approximately\u00a033,000 buildings were inspected within 18 months<\/b>, compared to just 100 inspections carried out over the previous 50 years.<\/div>\n
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Conference Support<\/b><\/div>\n
Silver Sponsors:<\/b>
\nAKTOR Group, CREDIA BANK, EUROXX Securities S.A., INTERBETON<\/div>\n
Bronze Sponsors:<\/b>
\nIOLCUS, Joltie, MESOGEIOS S.A.<\/div>\n
Supporters:<\/b>
\nALUMIL, ARKITON S.A., AS BUILD ATE, COSMOS AEBE, EFG Eurobank, Eldon\u2019s Hellas, ETBA, Eurolamp ABEE, Grant Thornton, Green Edge, Premia Properties, Prudential, RENEL IKE, Hellenic Hydroconstruction S.A., ELTE, EYATH, EYDAP, Kokkinis Construction Technology S.A., Michail M. Tsontos S.A., NAMA S.A., Plethron Construction ATE, Polytechnical Redevelopment IKE, \u00a0STASY, T&T Constructions S.A., TEKAL ATE<\/div>\n
Media Partners:<\/b>
\nERT (Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation), Athens News Agency \u2013 Macedonian Press Agency<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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