30/05/25

GREECE: Gov’t to scrap subsidy agency in wake of EU fraud probe

As published on: ekathimerini.com, Friday 30 May, 2025.

Greece will dismantle OPEKEPE – the agency responsible for managing EU subsidies, including agricultural aid – and transfer its functions to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE), the government announced Tuesday in the wake of a major EU-led fraud investigation.

On May 19, prosecutors from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), accompanied by 20 officers from the Hellenic Police’s anti-corruption unit, conducted an unprecedented raid on OPEKEPE’s headquarters. The operation uncovered a widespread scheme involving fictitious pastureland claims used to fraudulently obtain EU agricultural funds.

The reform was finalized during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and attended by Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis, Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Agriculture Minister Kostas Tsiaras, and AADE chief Giorgos Pitsilis.

Under the transition plan, OPEKEPE staff will be transferred to AADE. Legislation to begin the process is expected by July, with full implementation targeted for late 2026.

The government says the overhaul will streamline the subsidy system while improving oversight and transparency.

“AADE’s independence, along with its notable success in tackling tax evasion and enhancing transparency in citizens’ interactions with the tax administration, serves as a strong foundation for this reform,” government sources said.

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Greece EU fraud