Greek Parliament Committee Advances AI Regulation Bill Amid Opposition Pushback

A parliamentary committee has approved in principle Greece's bill implementing the European Union's Artificial Intelligence Regulation, with only the governing New Democracy party voting in favor, as opposition parties reserved final judgment for the full parliamentary session

PASOK, SYRIZA, Greek Solution and Niki abstained pending debate in plenary session, scheduled for Thursday while the Communist Party (KKE) and Course of Freedom voted against the bill in committee.

Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou told committee members he remains open to amendments before the plenary vote.

He said the legislation aims to prepare Greek regulatory authorities with staffing, resources and infrastructure to protect citizens as AI adoption accelerates, noting that Greece ranks among the earliest adopters of general AI systems even as 80% of Greeks report fearing the technology.

Mr. Papastergiou outlined five core elements of the bill: designating the Hellenic Data Protection Authority as the central oversight body; establishing an AI coordination and expertise center within the National Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT); creating regulatory sandboxes; setting up a unified complaints system; and establishing a national registry of AI systems used in the public sector.

PASOK's lead rapporteur, Apostolos Panas, said the real test of Greece's alignment with the EU regulation will be "whether democracy remains stronger than algorithms," calling for clearer accountability rules and better-resourced oversight bodies.

SYRIZA's Theofilos Xanthopoulos criticized the government for lacking a genuine national strategic vision, warning the bill risks squandering opportunities for smaller businesses in favor of major conglomerates. KKE's Afroditi Ktena said the bill primarily serves corporate profit interests, while independent lawmaker Efi Karageorgopoulou criticized the legislation as overly centralized and vague.

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A parliamentary committee has approved in principle Greece's bill implementing the European Union's Artificial Intelligence Regulation, with only the governing New Democracy party voting in favor, as opposition parties reserved final judgment for the full parliamentary session or rejected the measure outright.

PASOK, SYRIZA, Greek Solution and Niki abstained pending debate in plenary session, scheduled for Thursday while the Communist Party (KKE) and Course of Freedom voted against the bill in committee.

Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou told committee members he remains open to amendments before the plenary vote.

He said the legislation aims to prepare Greek regulatory authorities with staffing, resources and infrastructure to protect citizens as AI adoption accelerates, noting that Greece ranks among the earliest adopters of general AI systems even as 80% of Greeks report fearing the technology.

Mr. Papastergiou outlined five core elements of the bill: designating the Hellenic Data Protection Authority as the central oversight body; establishing an AI coordination and expertise center within the National Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT); creating regulatory sandboxes; setting up a unified complaints system; and establishing a national registry of AI systems used in the public sector.

PASOK's lead rapporteur, Apostolos Panas, said the real test of Greece's alignment with the EU regulation will be "whether democracy remains stronger than algorithms," calling for clearer accountability rules and better-resourced oversight bodies.

SYRIZA's Theofilos Xanthopoulos criticized the government for lacking a genuine national strategic vision, warning the bill risks squandering opportunities for smaller businesses in favor of major conglomerates. KKE's Afroditi Ktena said the bill primarily serves corporate profit interests, while independent lawmaker Efi Karageorgopoulou criticized the legislation as overly centralized and vague.

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