OPEKEPE will be transferred to the fourth address in AADE, as the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Costas Tsiaras, speaking to Athens Radio Station 9.84.

“We ended up at a government level that OPEKEPE was transferred to AADE, in a service that has generally been established in the consciousness of not only the average Greek citizen, but also to social reality as an independent authority that functions at a very high level of control, transparency and internal control”he said.

The decision, as he explained, is included in overall effort OPECEPEwhich already started by the September 2024in cooperation with the Directorate -General for Agriculture of the European Commission. The aim is to fully restructure the body and to enhance transparency at each stage of its operation.

“With the command of the Prime Minister himself, we started a process of transforming OPECEPE. From the first moment, in an agreement with the European Commission’s Directorate -General for Agriculture and Rural Development, we are drawing an action plan for OPEKEPE since the previous September. ” The minister said.
He made it clear that the transfer of the Organization to AADE would not affect the payment of aid, nor the regime of farmers’ protection.

“It will not change anything in the status of which the payment and allocation of European resources to Greek producers operate today. I want to alleviate any concern in response – I don’t think there is a reason to have such a fear. On the contrary, everyone must feel that a very high level of control and justice is ensured. “

As he noted, OPECEPE has A key role in the Greek economy and at social cohesion: “It distributes 2.3 to 2.4 billion euros to nearly 700,000 beneficiaries. The spread of resources is huge. OPEKEPE is crucial not only for farmers, but for Greek society as a whole. We have to understand this – because from there the first priority begins. “

Mr Tsiaras referred with emphasis to the structural weaknesses that for years undermined OPECEPE’s function: “OPECEPE never had his own information system. It is a multifactorial process that can start with the farmer himself, a farmer, a producer and ends through various services in the OPEKEP righteousness – and on the other hand, phenomena such as those announced by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office. “

In this context, as he said, the intervention is radical:

  • The training of grazing management plans came back from the regions to the ministry,
  • The auction issues are completed and within 18 months there will be fully revised local maps,
  • The audit project was strengthened with 100 OAED employees, in collaboration with Labor Minister Niki Kerameos.

The minister stressed that OPECEPE’s smooth transition to AADE is a absolute priority until the action plan is completed: “We will make every effort to keep the body at its height until its integration into AADE. The action plan will be completed next September – and beyond that, the goal is one: to create an organization that operates with complete transparency and distributes European resources with absolute justice. “

Referring to administration of Nikos Salatathe Minister of Rural Development and Food, Costas Tsiaras pointed out there was no problem at the time of his administration at OPEKEPE. “On the contrary, all payments were made in time and I can tell you that the IACS statement went up two months earlier than last year.”. However, as he pointed out, the turning point was the public opposition with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office: “Since there were such public placements, there was a wrong message – and this could not be accepted either by me or by the government.”