Law no 4640/2019 “Mediation on civil and commercial disputes – Further harmonization of Greek legislation with Directive 2008/52/EC of the European parliament and of the council of 21 May 2008 and other provisions” (the Law) was published in the Government Official Gazette on November 29, 2019.

The new law was drafted in order for the Greek legislation to conform with a Supreme Court opinion that mandatory mediation as provided in law 4512/2018 was obstructing the right of access to justice, and also with a decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU)

The long-awaited Greek law with no. 4624/2019 “on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data into Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 and the transposition into national law of Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016” has been published on 29.8.2019 in the Government Gazette (A 137/29.8.2019); It repeals the former law no. 2472/1997 harmonizing the Greek legislation with Directive 95/46/EC and today it constitutes the basic national legal framework on personal data protection in Greece along with the GDPR.

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A public online consultation has been launched over the Legislative Initiative of the Ministry of Justice introducing provisions on the Hellenic Data Protection Authority, the adaptation of Greek law on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data into Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament 

After the lapse of the six-month period from the entry into force of GDPR, namely since December 2018, the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (hereinafter referred to as H.D.P.A.) has started investigating the compliance with GDPR and the EU & national e-Privacy legislation.

A draft law aiming to amend Law 4512/17.01.2018 on mediation in civil and commercial matters is being discussed in order to be voted by the Hellenic Parliament.The provisions of this draft law, in case it is voted by the Hellenic Parliament, shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Greek Government Gazette, except for the provision on the mandatory initial mediation session, which shall enter into force on November 30, 2019. 

The Hellenic DPA issued on 26.7.2019 its first GDPR fine against the company “PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS BUSINESS SOLUTIONS SA” (PWC BS) for breach of art. 5 par 1 & 2, and art. 6 par 1 (a) of GDPR amounting to 150.000€ and accompanied with other corrective measures (Decision no. 26/2019).

The Greek draft law implementing the European Trade Mark Directive 2015/2436 (the Directive) was uploaded on the compenet Ministry website for public consultation on January 11, 2019, and it will remain open for public consultation until February 01, 2019 (http://www.opengov.gr/ypoian/?p=9959).

The main points of the draft law include:

The adoption of the Presidential Decree 31/2019 (hereinafter “Presidential Decree”) brought about the establishment of the Hellenic Academy of Industrial Property, as a separate service of the Hellenic Industrial Property Organization, seated in Athens and enjoying administrative and financial autonomy.

On Thursday, May 9^th, 2019, the German- Hellenic Chamber of Industry and Commerce (GHCIC) in collaboration with the Hellenic Union of Mediators, organised a lecture on the subject “Mediation in Intellectual Property Disputes –The New Bill for Trademarks” within the series of lectures “Mediation in a rapidly involving environment”.

In one month the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (hereinafter as GDPR) comes into force and Greek stakeholders have launched measures for compliance therewith.