Pressure relief valve for farmers and livestock breeders – First subsidy payments begin today – Meeting between MPs & Tsiaras

The accomplishment of inspectors from OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office, astatine OPEKEPE (the Greek Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid) offices has caused further interest wrong the government. Officials fearfulness that payments whitethorn beryllium delayed this week, portion farmers and livestock breeders are anxiously waiting to “see the colour of money.” Nevertheless, contempt the choky European constraints, it appears that a archetypal question of payments—about €40–45 million—will statesman today, chiefly for “old organic” subsidies.

“In the coming days, the remaining 2024 basal enactment payments volition beryllium made, on with subsidies for wine, integrated farming, and integrated beekeeping; later, payments for the ‘Daniel’ tempest debris and carnal provender volition follow. The information that OLAF has travel and is investigating backmost to 2014 objectively makes our enactment much difficult,” said Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis (SKAI 100.3), who has been appointed by the Prime Minister’s bureau to negociate the situation and pass with the European Commission.

Mr. Hatzidakis heads a regular videoconference involving the Ministry of Rural Development, the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), the acting president of OPEKEPE, and others, during which each emerging issues are analyzed. The government’s main interest is to proceed with payments soon, adjacent though farmers person until October 20 to taxable corrected OSDE declarations to OPEKEPE. Given this, the anticipation is that the beforehand outgo for the basal income enactment volition beryllium made successful the second fractional of November.

Despite these efforts, interest remains beardown among New Democracy ministers and MPs, who are receiving galore complaints from agrarian communities. Mr. Hatzidakis has reportedly informed the Prime Minister some of the nonsubjective difficulties and of Brussels’ heavy mistrust toward the Greek subsidy system.

However, this does small to easiness the unit connected ND MPs, who are facing increasing dissatisfaction successful their constituencies. At the aforesaid time, the cardinal authorities feels somewhat trapped, realizing it cannot determination guardant without the European Commission’s approval for OPEKEPE’s adjacent steps.

The Meeting with Tsiaras

In this climate—and fixed that farmers and livestock breeders are considering protestation actions adjacent earlier Christmas, thing highly unusual—the gathering scheduled for contiguous betwixt ND MPs from cultivation regions and Agriculture Minister Kostas Tsiaras is expected to beryllium difficult.

In coordination with ND parliamentary radical caput Maximos Charakopoulos, who represents Larissa and has firsthand cognition of the increasing tension, Mr. Tsiaras volition look pressing questions astatine 14:00 today astir the adjacent steps, upcoming payments, and absorption of the sheep pox outbreak. Mr. Tsiaras, who has agelong served arsenic MP for Karditsa, is good alert of the situation.

Politically, the authorities faces unit up of the October 28th nationalist parades. According to the investigation of the 2023 predetermination results, 48% of farmers voted for New Democracy, but pollsters present observe a notable diminution successful the governing party’s enactment successful agrarian areas—outside of large municipality centers.