SYRIZA challenges Greek government amendment on agricultural subsidies

The SYRIZA political party has raised serious concerns regarding a new government regulation, referred to as a ‘nighttime’ amendment, concerning agricultural subsidies for the years 2018–2022. The party highlights that Article 74 was not included in the original bill presented for public consultation but was added ex post facto to the Ministry of Rural Development and Food's bill on fisheries and the Fishing Code, which was submitted to Parliament on September 15.

This provision retroactively regulates the settlement of Single Application for Support 2018–2022, covering payments, audits, and the recovery of subsidies. Notably, the regulation stipulates that forest map data will not be taken into account during this settlement process.

These developments occur while the European Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating fraud cases related to agricultural subsidies from the same period, involving false pasture declarations and fictitious agricultural activities. SYRIZA is calling for the withdrawal of Article 74 and demanding full transparency, arguing that government intervention during an ongoing European judicial investigation into the OPEKEPE scandal could compromise the control and recovery of illegal subsidies.