Γ. Maniatis-Lucia Annunziata: Political responsibility for the scandal of the OPEKEPE scandal

A three-day visit by a delegation of Members of the European Parliament to Greece to investigate the OPEKEPE scandal has concluded. A total of eight MEPs participated in the mission. Upon the conclusion of the visit, MEPs Yannis Maniatis and Lucia Annunziata of the Party of European Socialists and Democrats (S&D) issued the following statement:

“It has been proven how right we were when we denounced that among the interlocutors of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT), selected by the European People’s Party and New Democracy, included up to 80% government representatives and officials from certain public bodies, with a notable absence of cooperative presidents and representatives who had exposed the OPEKEPE scandal.

Given that the official conclusion of the Chair of the CONT Committee, a member of the People’s Party, was highly incomplete, we state the following:

1. There are serious political responsibilities on the part of the Prime Minister, who, through frequent changes of ministers and management at OPEKEPE, failed to ensure a stable political and administrative framework to prevent the scandal. In the few instances where positive initiatives were taken, they were very quickly overturned by the subsequent political leadership of the Ministry and the subsequent OPEKEPE administration.
2. The significant increase in the national reserve in 2019, 2021, and 2022—from 18 million euros (2018) to over 50 million euros (2020)—is striking, without any reaction from the government, which subsequently led to the payment of thousands of reserved tax identification numbers from the end of 2023 through 2025 and to the collapse of OPEKEPE. These two phenomena link, based on what has come to light, the OPEKEPE scandal with the influence exerted on farmers by the New Democracy party.
3. Even before the European Public Prosecutor’s Office became involved, there were revelations and complaints about the scandal from OPEKEPE officials, and through strange “channels, ” the accused were informed of the confidential complaints within the very next few days.
4. Until 2014, when the claim reception centers were cooperatives, such incidents were extremely rare.
5. There were cases in which, despite court proceedings involving fraud against OPEKEPE funds, the competent regional officials of the Organization were not present at the trial to defend its interests.
6. Only in Greece does the absurd phenomenon occur where OPEKEPE payments , whereas they are supposed to begin on October 16 of each year and farmers’ applications are submitted at the end of summer, when throughout the rest of Europe applications are essentially submitted from the beginning of spring. The result of this is minimal time available for inspections and massive problems with payment delays.
7. The factors behind this scandal have led to farmers and livestock breeders, who toil daily, losing over 800 million euros from the start of the OPEKEPE scandal to the present. It should be noted that the government itself has identified 160 million euros in illegal subsidies for 2025. Regarding these lost funds, no practical steps have been taken to return them to the rightful farmers.

• Strictly adhere to the Action Plan agreed upon with European authorities, with clear timelines, public monitoring of progress, and accountability from administrative and political leaders for any delays or deviations.
• A modern, digital, and interoperable system for monitoring aid must be fully implemented, featuring real-time data cross-checks, satellite monitoring, risk analysis, and mandatory on-site inspections, in order to put a definitive end to the phenomena of fictitious declarations, illegal subsidies, and the misuse of European funds.
• Ensure genuine protection for public interest whistleblowers, with independent and confidential reporting mechanisms, full institutional protection, and strict penalties for those who attempt to cover up or intimidate them.
• Constructive cooperation with EU institutions and authorities must continue, as the success of Greek agricultural reform is in our mutual interest. Furthermore, EU agencies should draw their own conclusions as to why the scandal was not prevented, even though its key indicators were apparent.
• The payment schedules provided for in the regulatory framework of the Common Agricultural Policy must be strictly adhered to, in order to limit delays, financial corrections, and the loss of EU funds.
• Immediately and mandatorily implement electronic tagging and full digital recording of livestock, as well as precise geospatial identification and verification of declared land areas, to eliminate fictitious declarations and fraudulent subsidies.
• Immediately strengthen control and management mechanisms with specialized personnel, technical support, and operational independence, so that inspections are effective, continuous, and free from political interference.
• Strict administrative and criminal penalties should be imposed on those involved in schemes involving fraudulent claims, the circumvention of aid rules, or the concealment of irregularities, regardless of their political or administrative position.”