The European Commission has decided to fine Greece €392.2 million for systemic violations in the management of EU agricultural subsidies in 2016-2023.
The Greek side failed to ensure proper control over payments, allowing funding without sufficient checks or on-the-spot inspections.The sanction was the result of a large-scale agricultural fraud scandal currently being investigated by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).
According to the investigation, dozens of Greek citizens received funds for non-existent agricultural work or for land they did not own or lease. This deprived real farmers of the financial support they were entitled to.
In May, the Greek government announced the liquidation of OPEKEPE, the agency responsible for distributing agricultural subsidies and at the centre of the corruption investigation.
EPPO chief Laura Kövesi, commenting on the case in an interview with the publication, assured that the investigation would continue despite “attacks and intimidation” against her team. According to Greek opposition leader Nikos Androulakis, this situation is a devastating blow to the country’s reputation in the eyes of European institutions. “The denigration of our state continues, and its credibility in the European arena is rapidly declining,” he said.
In 2023, the EPPO had launched an investigation into a contract for the modernisation of the signalling system on Greek trains and remote control following a major catastrophe in which 57 people were killed.
