Greece tightens street-market rules as Attica vendors face single-category licences
A ministerial decision requires professional vendors in Attica’s street markets to select one of nine activity categories and sell only within it after a six-month transition. Nea Kriti reports that the wider framework applies across Greece, while producer-vendors remain restricted to goods from their own production.
Attica introduces nine activity categories
Greece is changing the operating rules for professional vendors in street markets, separating sales licences by product category and restricting each professional to one chosen activity. Ethnos reports that the ministerial decision was published in Government Gazette FEK B’ 4579/24.07.2026 and applies to street markets in the Region of Attica. Vendors have a six-month transition period from the decision’s entry into force to select their category and adjust their operations.
The decision creates nine categories: fruit, vegetables and agricultural products; food and other foodstuffs; fresh fish and aquaculture products; flowers, plants and gardening goods; canteens and refreshment products; household goods and small miscellaneous items; clothing and footwear; household linen; and pet-related goods. The pet category, covering feed, equipment, accessories and grooming products, is being established separately for the first time. Once vendors choose a category, their professional licence will permit only the corresponding activity.
Mixed assortments face tighter limits
The central change ends the general practice of combining goods from different categories under one professional activity. Products covered by the categories include fresh produce, pulses, nuts, dairy products, cheese, processed meat, fresh poultry, fishery products, flowers, nursery plants, clothing, footwear, linen and household goods. Ethnos notes, however, that certain packaged agricultural products—including honey, olive oil, olives, natural juices and organic products—may be sold through more than one category, depending on the nature of the business.
The geographical presentation differs between the reports. Ethnos describes FEK B’ 4579 as setting the framework for professional vendors in Attica. Nea Kriti reports that new rules are being applied to street markets throughout Greece, with product categories outside Attica determined by the framework applicable in each area. It also identifies the six-month adjustment period specifically for Attica. Taken together, the reports indicate an immediate, detailed licensing reorganisation in Attica alongside a broader nationwide move toward clearer separation of product activities.
Producer-vendors retain a separate regime
Producer-vendors continue to operate under different rules. According to Nea Kriti, they may sell only goods from their own production and cannot supplement their stalls with products bought from third parties. Plant production can include fruit, vegetables, pulses, olive oil, wine and cottage-industry products. Animal production can include eggs, poultry, dairy products, processed meat, honey and fishery products, provided that the goods originate from the vendor’s own productive activity.
The framework also puts emphasis on food quality and safety. Perishable and frozen foods must be transported and sold with suitable equipment to maintain the required temperature and preserve the cold chain. Products must comply with national and European food-safety legislation. These obligations are particularly relevant to vendors handling dairy products, poultry, meat products, seafood and other temperature-sensitive goods.
Vendors must reassess their product mix
For professional traders, the single-category requirement may force choices about inventory, equipment and stall positioning. Businesses that previously combined unrelated product lines will have to identify the activity they intend to retain, subject to the specific exceptions for some packaged agricultural goods. Consumers should receive a clearer indication of what each licensed professional is authorised to sell, while market supervisors gain more distinct categories for inspections and enforcement.
The Panhellenic Federation of Street Market Vendors’ Associations described the measure as fulfilling a longstanding request and said it expected a clearer, more organised operating framework, according to Ethnos. The federation also said it would monitor implementation and intervene where necessary to support correct application. The practical impact will depend on how licences are converted during the six-month period and how consistently category boundaries and product exceptions are interpreted.
