Legal framework

Institutional foundation

The Research and Monitoring Centre for Coastal and Maritime Tourism in the Eastern Mediterranean (RMCMED) is grounded in two complementary instruments: an act of Greek primary legislation that establishes its national legal basis, and an international Memorandum of Understanding that anchors it within the work of UN Tourism.

1. Greek primary legislation — Law 5061/2023, Article 5

Article 5 of Law 5061/2023 ("Provisions for the strengthening of sustainable tourism development") was published in the Government Gazette of the Hellenic Republic, Series A, Issue 179, on 30 October 2023. It establishes an Observatory for Coastal and Maritime Tourism in the Mediterranean within the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism — the institutional vehicle that hosts the RMCMED network.

Purpose (Article 5, paragraph 1). The Observatory's purpose is the measurement and statistical collection of data, the monitoring and evaluation of sustainable tourism development in the Mediterranean region, the development of related research, and the improvement of the competitiveness and resilience of the tourism product.

Mandate (Article 5, paragraph 2). The Observatory's tasks, as set out in the law, are:

to develop the methodological standard required for the measurement, statistical collection, evaluation and monitoring of sustainable development of coastal and maritime tourism in the Mediterranean, in line with existing measurement standards;
to carry out the necessary research and the periodic measurement and monitoring of sustainable tourism development in the region, including accessible tourism;
to consult with local tourism partners and to formulate best practices for the governance and management of sustainable tourism development in Mediterranean coastal and island destinations;
to train human capital in tourism destinations, with emphasis on specialised knowledge in the different forms of tourism, for the management of sustainable development of coastal and maritime tourism;
to exchange data and know-how among Mediterranean countries and to disseminate the results of its activity.

Institutional placement and coordination (Article 5, paragraphs 3 and 4). The Observatory is integrated into the Research Directorate of the Hellenic Ministry of Tourism, which provides administrative support and processes the data collected so that they can inform national policy on coastal and maritime tourism.

Its work is coordinated by a five-member Coordination Committee, composed of:

the Head of the General Directorate of Tourism Policy;
the Head of the Research Directorate;
the Heads of the Department of Studies and Documentation and of the Department of Tourism Statistics (Research Directorate);
one representative of the Strategic Planning Directorate.

The Committee is established by decision of the Minister of Tourism and is responsible for designing and implementing the actions required to deliver the Observatory's mandate.

Access to data (Article 5, paragraph 5). The Observatory may access any data necessary for the fulfilment of its mandate. Public authorities and services ensure unhindered access to records and databases, in full compliance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation) and Greek Law 4624/2019.

2. Memorandum of Understanding with UN Tourism

The work of the Centre is also anchored in a Memorandum of Understanding between the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) and the Ministry of Tourism of the Hellenic Republic for the establishment of a Research and Monitoring Centre for Coastal and Maritime Tourism in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. The MoU was signed in June 2021 and renewed in June 2024.

3. The Joint Statement of Messinia (7 October 2024)

The political and operational framework of the regional network was set out in a Joint Statement signed in Messinia, Greece, on 7 October 2024 by the Ministers of Tourism — and representatives of Ministers of Tourism — of Albania, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece and Montenegro. The Joint Statement endorses the establishment of the Centre and the signatories' commitment to a shared agenda of measurement, monitoring and evidence-based policy making for sustainable coastal and maritime tourism.

Compliance and data protection