Keele and York university licenses challenged in Greek court

Panos Lazaratos, a professor of Administrative Law at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, has filed new petitions with the Council of State seeking the annulment of new operating licenses granted to the private higher education institutions Keele and York.

The legal challenge focuses on the re-issuance of these licenses by the Deputy Minister of Education, which were published in the Government Gazette last week. The petitioner argues that the licenses violate Law 5094/2024 because they allow for the retroactive recognition of credit units from non-certified programs, rather than following the legally mandated revocation process.

Furthermore, the petition claims the licenses are based on outdated and legally flawed opinions from the Hellenic Authority for Higher Education (EThAAE) issued in August 2025. Lazaratos asserts these opinions relied on accreditation standards that have since been annulled by the Council of State, rendering the current certification process invalid.