Confidentiality and non-compete agreement (Greece)

Published byDocMuse

The agreement in which an employee in Greece undertakes to keep the employer's information confidential, during employment and after, and not to compete with the employer for a set period after leaving. Greece has no statute on non-compete clauses, and the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos 1183/2025) held that a clause without reasonable compensation and without a defined geographical area is, as a rule, void. So this agreement sets the activities, the area, the length and a monthly compensation.

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Common questions

Is a non-compete clause without compensation valid in Greece?

As a rule, no. There is no statute on the clause; courts judge it under arts. 178, 179 and 281 of the Greek Civil Code, and the Supreme Court (Areios Pagos 1183/2025) held that reasonable compensation is an essential condition of its validity. That is why the agreement sets a monthly compensation for the whole ban and releases the employee if it is not paid.

What must a Greek non-compete clause set out so that it is not struck down?

Specific activities, a geographical area, a time limit and compensation. In Areios Pagos 1183/2025 the court held that a clause with no specific geographical limit is, as a rule, void. The wider the ban, the likelier a court will find it an excessive restriction of the employee's freedom to work, so it is worth limiting it to what really competes with the employer.

Is a written confidentiality agreement needed while a Greek employee is still employed?

While the employment lasts, the employee is already bound by law to a duty of loyalty and may not compete with the employer. The written agreement defines what counts as confidential and how documents and files are returned, and extends the duty beyond the end of employment, where the law does not reach.