Greece adopts first formal criteria to recognize occupational diseases

Deputy Labor and Social Security Minister Kostas Karagounis announced that Greece has, for the first time, established a clear procedure for reporting occupational diseases, including a specific deadline, under Labour Law 5239/2025. The reform also introduces scientifically‑based criteria for recognizing such diseases, which will be issued soon as a joint ministerial decision after a specialist working group completed its work.

The new criteria aim to guarantee workers affected by occupational illnesses access to compensation, insurance benefits and special protection, while providing reliable data to design more effective prevention policies and to guide inspections of high‑risk sectors. The measures also align Greece’s framework with relevant European directives on worker protection.