Incineration Norms and Government Authority — Greece (2025)

Incineration Norms

• Greece currently does not operate dedicated municipal waste incineration plants.
• No incineration taxes are applied as there is no existing capacity.
• Landfill taxes are in place (around EUR 20/tonne since 2022) to encourage waste diversion from landfills.
• Six waste-to-energy incineration plants are planned with a combined capacity of about 1.19 million tons per year, expected to start after 2026, covering all regions of Greece.
• Planned facilities are designed to provide energy, including district heating, contributing to regional energy supply.
• Incineration emission limits will comply with EU standards as per national legislation (JMD 22912/1117/2005 transposing EU Directive 2000/76/EC).

Governing and Monitoring Authorities

• Ministry of Environment and Energy (MoE): Responsible for national waste policy, legislation, monitoring, and enforcement.
• Ministry of the Interior (MoI): Exercises executive roles over local and regional authorities for waste management implementation.
• Local Municipalities and Waste Management Authorities: Handle collection, treatment, and comply with national targets.
• Relevant public and private companies are involved in planning, constructing, and operating future incineration plants.

Key Legislation & Standards

• Joint Ministerial Decision (JMD) 22912/1117/2005: Implements EU Waste Incineration Directive at national level, defining emission limits and operating conditions.
• Law 4819/2021: Transposes EU Waste Framework Directive, including waste hierarchy and landfill restrictions on specific waste types since 2024.
• National Waste Management Plan: Promotes recycling, waste diversion, and phased introduction of incineration capacity consistent with EU targets.
• Compliance monitoring with EU regulations and reporting under UNFCCC frameworks.

Greece currently has no operational municipal incinerators but plans significant capacity for waste-to-energy incineration by 2026, with government oversight by the Ministry of Environment and Energy and compliance with EU emission standards and waste management directives.