Greece's Parliament has passed legislation establishing the country's national framework for implementing the European Union's AI Act, making Greece one of the first EU member states to complete such a mechanism.
The law designates the Hellenic Data Protection Authority as the central market oversight body and the National Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT) as the notifying authority, tasked with operating a new AI Coordination and Expertise Center.
It establishes penalties for violations, including against public sector bodies, creates a unified complaints system, and introduces criminal penalties for removing transparency labels from deepfake content.
Digital Governance and AI Minister Dimitris Papastergiou told Parliament the goal was "innovation with regulation" rather than choosing between the two, saying Greece needed clear rules that protect citizens' rights while allowing innovation to develop safely.
The law also establishes AI regulatory sandboxes allowing businesses, startups and research institutions to test AI applications under real-world conditions with regulatory support.
Mr. Papastergiou pointed to Greece's supercomputer "Daedalus," ranked 31st globally and set to launch soon at the National Technology Park in Lavrio, along with partnerships with companies including Mistral and ElevenLabs, as part of a broader national AI strategy coordinated by the Special Secretariat for Artificial Intelligence and Data Governance.
He also highlighted a new digital registry tracking accessibility infrastructure for people with disabilities, including parking spaces and building access points, to be integrated with the "MyStreet" app.
Citing a recent OECD report, Mr. Papastergiou said Greece now ranks 15th among 44 countries in digital convergence, and exceeds the EU average on seven indicators in the bloc's Digital Decade index, calling the ranking a marked improvement from years when Greece typically ranked near the bottom.