Greek MEP advocacy for agricultural policy reform

European Parliament member Sakis Arnaoutoglou has raised concerns regarding the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and its impact on Greek producers.

Initially, Arnaoutoglou submitted a formal inquiry to the European Commission concerning delays in agricultural subsidies in Greece. While EU Regulation 2026/1768 allows member states to provide advance direct aid payments of up to 75% before the October 16 deadline, Greek producers have faced delays. Projections indicated that applications submitted by mid-September might not receive payments until late October or November, contrasting with Italy, which utilized the provision to pay farmers in July.

Subsequently, Arnaoutoglou advocated for broader policy shifts within the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development. He proposed moving from reactive to proactive measures, including the automatic activation of European assessments when production costs for energy, feed, or fertilizer create severe pressure. He warned that by the time producers reach their financial limits, intervention is often too late. He also suggested using the maintenance of active agricultural holdings as a primary success metric for the CAP.

In addition to agricultural reform, Arnaoutoglou called for a new European ecosystem for forest fire prevention, advocating for a shift toward a proactive model by strengthening the rescEU program, aerial resources, and personnel. In a related development regarding civil protection, 21 Greek firefighters are participating in the European Pre-deployment of European Firefighters program, with Cyprus also joining as a host country this year under the European Civil Protection Mechanism.