Today, in a time of global environmental crisis, where it is clear that a comprehensive legal development plan is needed that includes all environmental authorities, the most important general principle of environmental law is the principle of sustainable development.

This principle is very important because it is essentially the tool for the protection of the environment by the Member States but also the guarantee for the citizens that the Member States comply with environmental policies. It is worth noting that this principle is at the heart of both international and European law.

The general principle of law that sets the framework within which the preservation for the next generations of natural resources through their proper management and exploitation is preserved is essentially the principle of sustainable development. The principle of sustainable development finds its legal basis in both international and European law as well as in the Greek Constitution and national environmental legislation. In the Greek legal order, the principle of sustainable development is now and explicitly constitutional with the 2001 revision and the enshrinement in the Constitution of the inherent principle of sustainability.

The application of the principle presupposes in practice its connection with some principles, which have been developed mainly by the jurisprudence, with specialization in dealing with special cases. One of them is the principle of integration. The principle of integration: It is a basic principle of Community environmental law, specifying the principle of sustainable development. According to the principle of integration in the formulation and implementation of sectoral Community policies and actions, such as those of agriculture, energy, tourism, transport, the environmental aspect should be taken seriously.