A long-standing burden for thousands of property owners in Greece—errors and inconsistencies in the Cadaster and the Forest Maps—may soon ease. The Ministries of Environment and Energy and Digital Governance are advancing new regulations designed to correct injustices and safeguard private ownership.

The initiative’s goal is to free citizens trapped in years-long bureaucratic or legal limbo. The proposed framework offers remedies for properties incorrectly designated as forest land or as “unknown owner,” classifications that have led—sometimes unfairly—to their transfer to the state.

It also addresses geometric inaccuracies in mapping, especially on Lefkada, Lesvos, and Chios, in an effort to complete the national Cadaster and correct erroneous entries.

Under the new provisions, thousands of owners will be able to amend cadastral records and remove their properties from the Forest Map when specific criteria are met.

These include accepted objections by the Objections Examination Committees, exclusions from posted or ratified forest maps that can be verified through urban-planning documentation, or licensing decisions confirming that the land does not fall under forest categories. Properties within ratified forest maps but not marked as forest will also be eligible for correction through map extracts.

The reform clarifies and enhances the existing out-of-court mechanism for fixing cadastral errors. When the conditions are fulfilled, the corrections will be handled directly by local Cadastral Offices, allowing properties to return to their accurate legal status.

For assets listed as “unknown owner”—and therefore automatically attributed to the state—the legislation introduces a streamlined out-of-court process. Declarations of ownership submitted after the publication of provisional records will now serve as applications for obvious-error correction, examined by the Cadastral Office.

Owners whose land appears in forest maps as state property will be able to submit committee decisions accepting their objections, ensuring timely review before a final ruling on the correction request.
Until now, many citizens had no option but to go to court.

The new rules promise a simpler, faster path: errors can be rectified by presenting the necessary ownership documents and official certifications, reducing both delay and uncertainty.