Legislation on Healthcare Units Waste Treatment in Greece

Published On - October 29, 2021

admin News

The management of Healthcare Units waste is based mainly on the Joint Ministerial Decision no 146163/2012 (Hellenic Government Gazette 1537/B/20212), entitled “Measures and Conditions on the Hospital Waste Management”, with all its amendments. In particular, in 2016 and 2017, two (2) amendments were made with issuance of Joint Ministerial Decision no 62952/5384/2016 (Hellenic Government Gazette 4326/B/2016) and no 41848/1848/2019 (Hellenic Government Gazette 3649/B/2017), respectively.

Every Healthcare Units (subject to environmental licensing) has the obligation to prepare an Internal Regulation for Waste Management in case the Unit has a capacity of more than 50 beds, according to the Joint Ministerial Decision no 146163/2012. Moreover, in 2021 the Law no 4771/2021 (Hellenic Government Gazette 16/A/201) was issued, which states that all Chronic Dialysis Units need to prepare this Regulation no matter what its capacity of beds is.

In general, this regulation should reflect the way in which each Hospital Unit manages its waste by providing information for:

  • Waste generated quantities per category
  • The way of its separation, collection, packaging, transport, temporary storage, and treatment,
  • Documentation of how to manage its liquid waste, etc.

Following, a brief presentation of the Greek Legislation governing the Waste Management of Hospital Units is given:

  • Law 4012/2012 (Hellenic Government Gazette 24/A/2012) on “ “Protection of the Environment through criminal law – Harmonisation with 2008/99/EC Directive, and harmonisation with 2008/98/EC Directive on “Waste” – Regulation of Issues of the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change”, as in force.
  • Joint Ministerial Decision (Hellenic Government Gazette 1537/B/2012) “Measures and Conditions on the Hospital Waste Management”.
  • Joint Ministerial Decision (Hellenic Government Gazette 791/B/2006) “Approval of Technical Specifications for the management of hazardous waste according to article 5 (paragraph B) of the Joint Ministerial Decision NO 13588/725 “Measures, conditions, and restrictions for the management of hazardous waste, etc. (Hellenic Government Gazette 383/B) and in compliance with the provisions of the Article 7 (paragraph 1) of the 91/156/EEC Council Directive of 18 March 1991”, as in force.
  • Joint Ministerial Decision Electronic Reference No. 13588/725/06 (Hellenic Government Gazette 383/B/2006) “Measure, conditions and restrictions for the hazardous waste management, in compliance with the 91/689/EEC Directive on ‘hazardous waste” of the Council of 12 December 1991. Replacement of Joint Ministerial Decision NO. 19396/1546/1997 “Measures and conditions for the hazardous waste management”, as in force.
  • Joint Ministerial Decision No. 22912/1117/2005 (Hellenic Government Gazette 759/B/2005) “Measures and conditions for the prevention and reduction of environmental pollution from the waste incineration”, as in force.
  • Joint Ministerial Decision No 41624/2010 (Hellenic Government Gazette 1625/B/2010).
  • Joint Ministerial Decision No. 62952/5384/2016 (Hellenic Government Gazette 4326/B/2016) “Approval of the National Hazardous Waste Management Plan, according to article 31 of Law 4342/2015”.
  • Joint Ministerial Decision No. 43942/4026/2016 (Hellenic Government Gazette 2992/B/2016) “Organisation and operation of the e-Waste Register, in accordance with the provisions of article 42 of Law 4042/2012, as in force”, as amended by Joint Ministerial Decision No. 26303/2017 (Hellenic Government Gazette 2037/B/2017).
  • Joint Ministerial Decision No 41848/1848/2017 (Hellenic Government Gazette 3649/B/2017) “Amendment of the Joint Ministerial Decision No. 146163/2012 – Measures and Conditions on the Hospital Waste Management, as in force”.
  • Circular No. 29960/3800/2012 “Indicative categories of Hospital Unit Waste – Clarifications on certain requirements of the Joint Ministerial Decision No. 146163/2012”.
  • Circular No. 6972/2014 “Clarifications for the Proper Management of Hazardous Waste of Hospital Units”.
  • Circular No. 52384/10-07-2015 “On the Management of Hazardous Waste of Hospital Units”.
  • Circular No. 33942/17 “Liquid waste management of Hospital Units”.
  • Circular No. 52352/09-07-2018 “Information regarding Regulation (EU) 2017/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2017, on mercury and on the abolition of Regulation (EC) No 1102/2008”.
  • Circular No. 84733/18 “Clarifications regarding the management requirements of the Hospital Unit Waste of the Day Care Units”.
  • Circular No. 25899/19 “Obligations of Hospital Units for the separate collection of waste packaging materials and other waste streams”.
  • Circular No. 99738/18/13-02-2019 CORRECTED COPY “Clarifications regarding the management of Hospital Units waste and its categorization”.
  • Circular No. 16098/14-3-2020 “Taking measures to protect Public Health from the SARS-COV-2 in the facilities of internal water supply network, sewerage system and solid waste management of Hospital Units”.
  • Circular No. 20598/24-03-2020 “Full compliance with the provisions regarding the hazardous waste management of Hospital Units”.

It should be noted that in July 2021 a Draft Law was posted on the “Integrated Framework for Waste Management – Integration of Directives 2018/851 and 2018/852 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 amending Directive 2008/98/EEC on waste and Directive 94/62 / EC on packaging and packaging waste, framework for the organisation of the Hellenic Recycling Organisation, provisions for plastic products, emergency provisions for the protection of the natural environment, spatial-urban and energy regulations”.