1. According to the (Greek) Civil Code (CC) a claim in tort is subject to a five-year limitation from the date the injured party had knowledge of both the injury and the person liable for compensation; in any case the claim is prohibited 20 years after the occurrence of the tortuous act. Furthermore, should this tort constitute at the same time a criminal act which, according to the criminal law, is subject to a longer period of limitation, such longer limitation period shall also be applicable to the claim for compensation.

2. The limitation period of any claim against the producer of a defective product (article 6, para. 13, Law 2251/1994) is three years "from the day the injured party became aware or ought to have become aware of his damage, of the defect and of the identity of the producer". Subject to the above, the provisions of CC regulating limitation are applicable, including those concerning suspension and interruption of limitation. Also, the rights of the injured party stemming from Law 2251/1994 as above are subject to a 10-year forfeiture period "from the circulation day of the actual product", unless the injured party has in the meantime brought an action against the producer.

Consequently the limitation and forfeiture periods applicable to the claims of the consumer under Law 2251/1994 are shorter than those provided for by CC with regard to claims in tort.

3. According to the general provisions of CC the limitation is suspended if, during the last six months of the period, the beneficiary has been prevented from pursuing his claim due to any case of force majeure or because he was fraudulently dissuaded by the obligee from doing so. The period of suspension does not count towards the compu­tation of the limitation period; after termination of the suspension period limitation continues to run, but it may not be completed before the lapse of six months thereafter.

Moreover limitation is in general terms interrupted through the acknowledgment of the claim by the obligee and through the filing of an action by the obligee; in the latter case, however, service of this action upon the defendant is necessary for the interruption of limi­tation. Upon interruption, the time of the limitation period which has already run is not counted and therefore a new period commences from the last day of the interruption.

Lastly, the practical differences between limitation and forfeiture are that the latter is taken into consideration ex officio by the court and that renunciation of the period of forfeiture is null and void.