Greece seeks early relief from post-programme surveillance

The Greek government is requesting an acceleration of its exemption from special assessments under post-programme surveillance. Athens is seeking to implement this change by the end of 2026, which is six months ahead of the current timeline.

Formal announcements from the European Commission are expected in November. The initiative is linked to the reform of the European framework for monitoring member states that have received financial assistance. While Greece exited enhanced surveillance on August 20, 2022, it remains subject to post-programme surveillance and the European Semester to monitor its economic, fiscal, and financial stability.

Under the proposed amendment to Regulation 472/2013, the Commission may conduct a special assessment of repayment capacity five years after the start of post-programme surveillance. If no significant medium-term risks are identified, regular assessments could be suspended for five years, provided circumstances do not change materially.