The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating numerous instances where Greek individuals improperly obtained EU agricultural funds for lands they neither owned nor rented, or for agricultural activities they did not perform, thereby depriving genuine farmers of these funds. This long-standing, large-scale fraud was highlighted in a previous POLITICO report this year.
The Greek government announced that farm payments and inspections will now be overseen by the Independent Authority for Public Revenues, with OPEKEPE staff being transferred there.
The government stated, “Following attempts to internally modernize OPEKEPE that failed to produce the desired results, we are decisively collaborating with European authorities to resolve the issue permanently.”
The integration is expected to be finalized in the latter half of 2026, with legislation to be introduced by July.
OPEKEPE has been under EU oversight since September 2024 due to failing to meet operational standards and it faced the risk of losing its certification for managing EU funds in July when EU officials visited Athens for a progress review.
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