Article 116 of the draft bill currently under discussion by the Ministry of National Economy and Finance is sparking strong reactions in the construction sector, with the Association of Public Limited Technical Companies (SATE) calling for its immediate amendment to cover all projects funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
In a letter to political leaders, SATE expresses its surprise that this specific provision was not subject to public consultation, while noting that it applies exclusively to very large projects with a contract value exceeding 100 million euros.
The provision allows for exceptions to the Public Procurement Law and the possibility of awarding extraordinary compensation in cases where timelines are accelerated or modified to meet the milestones of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The Association argues that the regulation excludes hundreds of smaller projects being carried out across the country by small and medium-sized construction firms, which are facing increased pressures due to rising material and energy costs, especially following recent developments in the Middle East.
SATE is calling for the provision to be extended to all projects under the Recovery Fund, emphasizing that this is the only way to ensure equal treatment of all contractors and to dispel doubts regarding the appropriateness of the regulation. As he points out, local communities are counting on the timely completion of these projects, which make a substantial contribution to improving citizens’ daily lives.
The letter
SUBJECT: Unacceptable restriction of the provisions of Article 116 of the draft law of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance to ONLY very large projects (€100 million and above).
Dear Sirs,
We were particularly surprised to learn of the content of Article 116 of the draft law “Measures to Address the Energy Crisis and Boost Citizens’ Disposable Income, wage and tax provisions, regulations for the out-of-court debt settlement mechanism, public sector pension regulations, regulations for the Gaming Supervision and Control Commission, and improvements to the gaming framework, provisions regarding the Public Real Estate Company S.A., and other provisions,” which is being discussed today in the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs of the Hellenic Parliament.
The article provides for deviations from the existing provisions of the basic law on public procurement, Law 4412/2016, as well as the possibility of granting extraordinary compensation to be covered by the National Component of the Public Investment Program for projects funded by the Recovery and Resilience Facility, provided that – for reasons of public interest linked exclusively to the achievement of the milestones of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (ESLA) – it is decided to shorten or modify the approved milestone deadlines or the overall project deadline.
We must point out to you that this article was NOT included during the public consultation phase of the draft law, which took place from June 1 to June 15, 2026, and, most importantly, as formulated, it applies ONLY to very large projects with a contract value of 100 million euros or more, and not to the hundreds of projects being implemented throughout Greece with tight schedules amid the suffocating conditions faced by small and medium-sized construction companies due to the rapid price increases resulting from the war in the Middle East.
Our Association, which has authentically represented the corporate construction sector for more than 60 years, strongly protests yet another regulation coming up for a vote in the Hellenic Parliament, which ignores the hundreds of small- and medium-sized projects carried out by the majority of our member companies—projects that local communities are counting on to be completed in order to improve citizens’ daily lives.
In light of the above, we request that Article 116 be amended to include all projects implemented and funded by the Recovery and Resilience Fund.
With this amendment, the relevant ministries will dispel any doubts regarding the appropriateness of the regulation, as they will acknowledge that all projects implemented under the Recovery and Resilience Facility are treated equally and on an equal footing.