Agency Agreement in Greece: Template, Key Clauses and Local Law (2026)

A commercial agency agreement in Greece is a contract where a self-employed agent is given continuing authority to negotiate, or to negotiate and conclude, the sale of a principal's goods in return for commission. Greece regulates this relationship closely, and the rules protect the agent. The one feature that surprises foreign principals most is the agent's right to a clientele indemnity when the contract ends. This guide explains the Greek legal framework, the agent's protections, the clauses an agency agreement should carry, and a template skeleton. It is general information, not legal advice. ## What law governs an agency agreement in Greece? The core statute is Presidential Decree 219/1991, enacted to implement Council Directive 86/653/EEC on self-employed commercial agents. It has been amended several times to keep pace with the Directive. Where the Decree is silent, the Greek Civil Code fills the gaps: the agency and mandate provisions (Articles 713 to 729) and the general rules on representation (Articles 211 to 235). The Civil Code's good-faith duties (Article 288) run through the whole relationship. Because the Decree implements an EU Directive, Greek courts read it in line with EU case law on commercial agents, including Court of Justice rulings on how the agent's end-of-contract indemnity works. ## The agent's clientele indemnity: the point that matters most When the agency ends, a Greek commercial agent is generally entitled to a clientele indemnity (apozimiosi pelateias). Broadly, it is payable where the agent brought the principal new customers or significantly increased business with existing ones, the principal keeps substantial benefits from that customer base after the agreement ends, and payment is equitable in the circumstances. Three things follow for drafting: 1. You cannot sign the indemnity away in advance. This mirrors the Directive's protective rule. A clause that waives the indemnity before the contract ends is generally ineffective. 2. The relationship, not the label, decides. Calling someone a distributor or consultant does not avoid the regime if the substance is commercial agency. 3. Notice periods are mandatory. The Decree sets minimum notice for termination that grows with the length of the relationship. ## Key clauses in a Greek agency agreement ### Parties, territory and products Name the principal and agent, the products, and the geographic territory. State whether the appointment is exclusive, sole or non-exclusive. ### Scope of authority Specify whether the agent only negotiates (solicits orders) or can also conclude contracts binding the principal. This affects liability to third parties. ### Commission Set the commission rate, the transactions it covers, when it is earned and when it is paid. Address commission on repeat orders from customers the agent introduced and on orders during the contract that are concluded after it ends, both points the Decree addresses. ### Duties of each party The agent must act dutifully and in good faith and follow reasonable instructions; the principal must provide documentation, support, and timely information about accepted or declined orders. ### Non-compete and confidentiality A post-termination restraint is allowed but must be limited in time, territory and products to be enforceable, consistent with the Directive's approach. Protect confidential information and customer data. ### Term and termination Fixed term or indefinite. For indefinite agreements, apply the Decree's mandatory minimum notice, which increases with the years served. Set out termination for serious cause (the Civil Code allows immediate termination for good cause). ### Clientele indemnity on termination Acknowledge the statutory indemnity and how it will be assessed, rather than trying to exclude it. A realistic clause reduces disputes later. ### Data protection If the agent handles personal data, address GDPR and Greek Law 4624/2019 obligations. ### Governing law and disputes Choose Greek law and a forum. Note that the mandatory protections apply where the agent operates in Greece or the EU even if another law is chosen. ## Template skeleton ```

1. Parties, recitals and definitions
2. Appointment, territory and products
3. Exclusivity
4. Scope of the agent's authority
5. Commission: rate, accrual and payment
6. Duties of the agent
7. Duties of the principal
8. Non-compete and confidentiality
9. Term and notice of termination
10. Termination for serious cause
11. Clientele indemnity on termination
12. Data protection (GDPR and Law 4624/2019)
13. Governing law (Greece) and dispute resolution
14. Signatures

- **Mandatory notice periods.** Indefinite agreements carry minimum notice that rises with tenure; a shorter contractual notice will not hold.
- **Substance over form.** A distribution or consultancy label will not defeat the agency regime if the agent functions as a commercial agent.
- **EU-consistent reading.** Greek courts interpret Decree 219/1991 alongside the Directive and Court of Justice case law, so EU precedent is persuasive. ## From the agreement to managing the relationship The agency contract is only the start. Someone has to watch the notice periods, calculate the indemnity exposure as the relationship lengthens, track commission that keeps accruing on introduced customers, and keep the signed version and its amendments straight. When those details live in email and a filing cabinet, the indemnity math and the notice clock are exactly what gets missed. An AI contract workspace keeps the agency agreement, its clause structure, the key dates and the commission and indemnity terms in one place, so you can draft from a template, see where a clause creates exposure, edit terms in plain language, and get an alert before a notice deadline. If you want to see drafting, review, tracking and governance together in one workspace, [Adira](https://adiralaw.com) is built around that idea. Deep Greece-specific jurisdiction coverage is on Adira's roadmap today; India is deepest now. ## FAQ