Article 15

Signs – Advertisements

1. Any advertising conducted by any means or method is prohibited on the non-residential sections of designated national and provincial roads or highways, and within a zone extending up to one hundred fifty (150) meters on both (2) sides of the centerline of these roads and is visible to road users. The prohibited zone referred to in the first paragraph is limited to forty (40) meters on both (2) sides of the centerline of the aforementioned sections of national and provincial roads or highways that pass through a residential area, if the speed limit on these sections exceeds seventy (70) kilometers per hour. On the branches of grade-separated highway interchanges and in the areas of toll stations, the 150-meter distance on both sides of the axis of the roadway applies regardless of the speed limit. For airports, advertising is permitted within the airport zone, in accordance with Article 219 of Law 4782/2021 (A’36), concerning outdoor advertising in airport zones.

2. It is prohibited to place signs or advertisements or to install any sign, poster, road marking, or device in a location or manner that may have any adverse effects on road users or affect traffic in any way. In particular, it is prohibited to place or install the above in such locations that obstruct the view of vertical traffic signs or traffic lights, or that cause confusion with traffic signs, traffic markings, or other traffic control devicestraffic control, or render them less visible or effective, or cause glare for road users, and generally distract their attention in a way that may have an adverse effect onroad safety in general.

3. On streets equipped with traffic lights, it is prohibited to place illuminated color advertisements, signs, or inscriptions using colors found in traffic signals, within a distance of twenty (20) meters on either side of, and at a height of less than twenty (20) meters from, each traffic signal.

4. Subject to compliance with the preceding paragraphs, signs referring to the name, other distinguishing mark, or title of a business operating along the street may be installed or displayed. Such advertising signs and inscriptions, where permitted, shall be placed parallel to the axis of the street, except for advertisements and signs on approved billboards and at gas stations operating along the street, which may also be placed perpendicular to the street’s axis.

5. The installation of advertising panels on bus shelters for urban and intercity transit located on expressways, on sections of national, provincial, and municipal roads outside residential areas, as well as on sections of national, provincial, and municipal roads where the speed limit for passenger vehicles exceeds seventy (70) kilometers per hour, parking is permitted only on the side parallel side (rear) of these roads, provided that this side or a section thereof is designated as closed to traffic. Advertising is permitted on both sides of these frames, provided they are not perpendicular to the axis of any other road. In all other cases, frames may be installed on the side of the shelters facing away from the direction of traffic, as well as on the side (rear) of the shelters that runs parallel to the road axis, provided that these sides or portions thereof are designed to be enclosed. When frames are installed on two (2) sides of the shelters, a clear passageway at least one (1) meter in length must be ensured along the entire height of the back side. Advertisements may be displayed on both (2) sides of these frames.

6. Illuminated or lighted advertisements, advertisements that use reflective materials, and advertisements with changing messages are prohibited on vehicles.

7. Any advertising outside the designated areas, or the display of words, images, or symbols on streetlight poles or traffic signal poles, on traffic islands or safety islands on sidewalks, or on the surfaces of civil engineering structures, or road construction—whether applied directly to these surfaces or to surfaces of structures attached to such engineering works.

8. Advertisements, signs, billboards, posters, markings, or devices placed in violation of this provision shall be removed or eliminated or, if illuminated, shall be taken out of operation, in accordance with the procedure set forth in paragraph 3 of Article 18 of Law 2130/1993 (A’ 62), concerning the supplementation and amendment of provisions regarding advertisements. If the competent authorities of the General Secretariat for Infrastructure or the relevant Decentralized Administration determine that the parties obligated to do so have failed to comply with the obligations set forth in the preceding sentence, they may require them to take the necessary actions, setting a deadline for compliance. If the deadline passes without action, the competent bodies of the General Secretariat for Infrastructure or the relevant Decentralized Administration may take all necessary measures to in lieu of the local government bodies. Such substitution includes any appropriate action to remove, eliminate, or render inoperative advertisements and signs from any part of the street, regardless of the entity responsible for its maintenance. The associated cost shall be borne by the local government agencies and shall be included in their budget as a mandatory expenditure, in accordance with the relevant provisions of this law. The agency responsible for removing, eliminating, or taking out of service illegal signs or advertisements, as well as the local government agencies, in whose budgets a mandatory expense is recorded for related actions taken on their behalf, may charge the relevant expense to the advertisers or the advertised parties, the collection of which is carried out in accordance with the provisions governing the collection of public revenues. The above agencies bear no liability for any damage incurred during removal, nor for the safekeeping and return of the relevant materials to the advertisers or the advertised parties.

9. Anyone who violates this provision in any way, and in particular anyone who posts or displays printed materials or generally engages in advertising activities in violation of this provision, shall be punished by imprisonment for up to one (1) year and a fine of up to ten thousand (10,000) euros, without prejudice to the application of provisions of specific criminal laws. Chairpersons of boards of directors, authorized representatives, or managing directors of public limited companies (S.A.), managers of limited liability companies (LLCs), as well as persons who administer or manage legal entities of the State, local government agencies, or the private sector in general, who commission advertising activities in violation of this law shall be punished as principal offenders, regardless of the criminal liability of any other natural person.

10. The penalties set forth in paragraph 9 shall be imposed provided that no more severe penalties are prescribed by other provisions.