Greece boosts farm payments after OPEKEPE transferred to AADE

Greek government officials – Vice‑President Kostis Hatziadakis, Agriculture Minister Margaritis Schoinás and AADE head George Pitsilis – announced that farm subsidies will increase for genuine beneficiaries following the transfer of the OPEKEPE program to the Independent Authority of Public Revenue (AADE). Stricter cross‑checks on land ownership, invoices and official registries are now applied, and a new, largely automated application form will pre‑fill taxpayer data from multiple state databases.

The officials said the reforms have already led to higher unit prices and more payments than in the previous year. They reported 1,151 cases flagged as suspicious, the detection of five criminal organisations and an estimated loss of €69 million. Commitments include €80 million for livestock producers and another €80 million for cereal and cotton sectors. The changes are presented as part of Greece’s effort to meet EU expectations ahead of its EU Council presidency beginning 1 July 2027.