Government to present bill on OPEKEPE transfer, minister outlines farmer payments

Rural Development Minister Christos Kellas said that the measure for transferring the responsibilities of cultivation assistance bureau OPEKEPE to the Independent Public Revenue Authority (AADE) has to beryllium voted by the extremity of the year, arsenic per the European Commission.

OPEKEPE is implicated successful 1 of Greece’s astir high-profile cultivation subsidy scandals successful caller years, with dozens  accused of orchestrating oregon benefiting from mendacious subsidy claims for EU aid, while thousands of others stay under investigation.

“The authorities is obliged to vote connected it by December 31, arsenic it is 1 of the three milestones acceptable by the Commission,” Kellas told state-run broadcaster ERT.

He added that Greece indispensable contiguous caller draught Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) declarations and mapping rules to the European Commission by November 4. “We are working intensively to transverse the threshold and not suffer a single euro of the 2.5 cardinal euros annually received by the cultivation community,” helium said, adding that “the authorities will not hazard European subsidies.”

Kellas said the refund of VAT connected cultivation lipid will beryllium paid within the archetypal week of November, while the beforehand outgo of basal aid—amounting to 550–600 cardinal euros, oregon 70% of the total—will beryllium made within the month. By the extremity of November, 178 cardinal euros will beryllium paid for accumulation losses and 50 cardinal euros for the reconstruction of works superior successful Thessaly.

Fifteen days aft the beforehand payment, the Hellenic Agricultural Insurance Organization (ELGA) will administer compensation for the spring frosts.

“The farmers’ choler is justified,” Kellas said, adding that “nothing will beryllium paid without the indispensable checks.”