{"id":3051,"date":"2021-06-11T18:02:54","date_gmt":"2021-06-11T15:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dtklawfirm.gr\/2021-k-karatsolis-e-volaki-principles-of-environmental-law-at-delimiting-streams-law-and-nature-published-in-nomos-and-physis-law-and-nature\/"},"modified":"2026-07-24T11:33:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-24T08:33:50","slug":"2021-k-karatsolis-e-volaki-principles-of-environmental-law-at-delimiting-streams-law-and-nature-published-in-nomos-and-physis-law-and-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dtklawfirm.gr\/en\/2021-k-karatsolis-e-volaki-principles-of-environmental-law-at-delimiting-streams-law-and-nature-published-in-nomos-and-physis-law-and-nature\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cPrinciples of Environmental Law at delimiting streams &#8211; Law and Nature\u201d, published in Nomos and Physis (Law and Nature)."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This article offers an in-depth analysis of the legal principles governing the <strong>delimitation of streams <\/strong>in Greece, situating the discussion within the broader context of <strong>climate change<\/strong>, the<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>European Green Deal<\/strong>, and the evolving demands of national environmental law. The authors<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">highlight that, as climate-related risks intensify, adapting Greek legislation to better protect<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">human life and natural ecosystems becomes increasingly imperative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A central focus of the study is the legal treatment of streams as protected natural ecosystems,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">both under EU law and Greek constitutional and statutory provisions. Stream delimitation is<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">presented as a critical legal and technical process, essential for preventing harmful interventions and ensuring that any work near watercourses are planned on the basis of environmental impact assessments and sound hydrological data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The article systematically sets out the key principles of environmental protection that guide stream delimitation and are consistently affirmed in the case law of the Council of State (\u03a3\u03c4\u0395),<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Conservation of the Natural State of Streams <\/strong>\u2013 Streams must be preserved in their natural form, with boundaries and flood lines determined on the basis of geomorphology, historical flow patterns, and environmental data.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Recognition as natural ecosystems <\/strong>\u2013 Streams possess unique ecological functions and microclimates; any alteration of their character or use is constitutionally prohibited.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Protection of unimpeded natural functio<\/strong>n \u2013 Construction projects are permissible only when they safeguard the free flow and ecological integrity of the stream; only essential technical works are allowed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prohibition of changing their primary purpose <\/strong>\u2013 The role of streams in water runoff and ecological balance cannot be altered through administrative actions or development.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Principle of Sustainable Development <\/strong>\u2013 Stream delimitation must integrate long-term environmental protection with responsible planning, ensuring intergenerational equity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Special attention is given to the <strong>non-fragmentary delimitation<\/strong> requirement, drawing on landmark \u03a3\u03c4\u0395 decisions such as the <strong>Podoniftis, Oleander Stream, and Great Stream of Rafina<\/strong> cases. These judgments affirm that delimitation is a mandatory precondition for zoning actions and environmental permitting. Where delimitation has not yet occurred, projects may proceed only if it is demonstrably ensured that they will not impair the stream\u2019s natural function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The article also explores the <strong>precautionary principle <\/strong>under EU law, stressing that authorities<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">must act proactively\u2014even in the presence of scientific uncertainty\u2014when a project may pose risks to a stream\u2019s ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, the authors analyse the <strong>necessity of examining alternatives <\/strong>within Environmental Impact Assessments, reaffirming that judicial review focuses on the legality, completeness, and adequacy of the environmental evaluation supporting administrative decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>In conclusion<\/strong>, the article underscores the need for a holistic and scientifically grounded approach to stream delimitation\u2014one that reconciles environmental protection with urban<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">planning demands. It highlights that safeguarding watercourses requires a rigorous legal framework, effective enforcement, and alignment with constitutional principles and EU environmental law, ensuring the ecological integrity of streams while enabling orderly and sustainable development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This article offers an in-depth analysis of the legal principles governing the delimitation of streams in Greece, situating the discussion within the broader context of climate change, the European Green Deal, and the evolving demands of national environmental law. The authors highlight that, as climate-related risks intensify, adapting Greek legislation to better protect human life [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[74],"tags":[100,88],"class_list":["post-3051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-posts","tag-eleftheria-volaki","tag-konstantinos-karatsolis"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u201cPrinciples of Environmental Law at delimiting streams - Law and Nature\u201d, published in Nomos and Physis (Law and Nature). - DTK Law<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dtklawfirm.gr\/arches-perivallontikoy-dikaioy-kata-tin-oriothetisi-ton-rematon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u201cPrinciples of Environmental Law at delimiting streams - Law and Nature\u201d, published in Nomos and Physis (Law and Nature). - DTK Law\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This article offers an in-depth analysis of the legal principles governing the delimitation of streams in Greece, situating the discussion within the broader context of climate change, the European Green Deal, and the evolving demands of national environmental law. The authors highlight that, as climate-related risks intensify, adapting Greek legislation to better protect human life [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dtklawfirm.gr\/arches-perivallontikoy-dikaioy-kata-tin-oriothetisi-ton-rematon\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"DTK Law\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-06-11T15:02:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-07-24T08:33:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dtklawfirm.gr\\\/arches-perivallontikoy-dikaioy-kata-tin-oriothetisi-ton-rematon\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dtklawfirm.gr\\\/arches-perivallontikoy-dikaioy-kata-tin-oriothetisi-ton-rematon\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dtklawfirm.gr\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/dc56c5c24d24b6956ff40d222873934d\"},\"headline\":\"\u201cPrinciples of Environmental Law at delimiting streams &#8211; 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