“It’s not the tension that some are trying to give,” the Minister of Rural Development and Food said, Costas Tsiarasregarding the changes that the European committee from Greece to the way of allocating agricultural compensation.

Mr. Tsiaras, speaking to ERT, referred to the need for a cool but decisive treatment of smallpox.

“There is a great deal of misunderstanding with this letter. From yesterday when this came out as news, there are things that have nothing to do with the process we follow. It is an issue that highlights a problem that we know exists, but it is not the tension that some are trying to give, “Kostas Tsiaras stressed and explained the framework.

As he said, the European Union has requested the up -to -date, with a high -resolution satellite data for the last 3 years, a geospatial imprinting of IACS data, initially defining as a deadline on October 2.

After full consultation with the European Commission and taking into account the summer season of August, The deadline was postponed for November 2, in order to submit the plan to the competent European authorities.

Consequently, as the Minister noticed, it is clear that no deadline was “lost”, as the agency’s competent services were in close cooperation with the EU, without in any way raising a question of stopping European funding. “

At the same time, he explained that “from the first moment we said that we would work with the European Commission to implement the Action Plan, to answer all issues. I am not hiding behind my finger: if we do not do what we need, it will be a matter of payment flows. That is why we are implementing step by step everything we have agreed. ” At the same time, he reminded that the six -month extension has been applied for the full implementation of the Action Plan with the 54 resolution points, which is essentially completed. Only OPECEPE’s legislative affiliation is pending, an institutional process that will be completed soon.

‘Crucifixions cannot be concealed’

As far as smallpox is concerned, the minister talked about a particularly difficult zoos:

“The smallpox has a completely different epidemiological model. The virus can survive for six months in feed or hair, which makes it extremely durable and dangerous to spread. ” As he pointed out, “everyone needs responsibility. When there is a case, it should not be hidden, but immediately announced. Unfortunately, in many cases veterinarians have already found dead animals. This means transmission. And that can’t go on. “

The minister stressed that blessing cannot be dealt with without the cooperation of all stakeholders. “We have already proceeded to a ten -day ‘raid’ in the presence of the Ministry’s veterinarians and the supervised bodies in the field,” he said, adding that the farmers themselves have a decisive role. “Bio -healing measures must be adhered to and, when there is an case, be stated immediately. Incidents should not be concealed. Unfortunately, our information shows that in several facilities, when the DAOK veterinarians went, they already found dead animals. This means transmission of the disease and brings us all a great deal of risk of our animal capital. “

On the issue of vaccination, Mr Tsiaras pointed out that clear scientific documentation is required. “There is a big debate about whether we need to vaccinate the animals. I would like to make it clear that I personally support vaccination as a means of prevention – after all, for the coronavirus – as a doctor – I ran to be vaccinated in the first two days. However, in the case of smallpox the data are more complex: percentage and duration of immunity, number of doses, the ability to distinguish antibodies from the disease or the vaccine. If they are not scientifically answered, we are in a difficult process, with serious risks to our basic products. “

And clarified:

“If the SEK has the scientific documentation, let it submit it. I have personally asked Mr Moscow. And then, let SEK take responsibility for the export of the feta, because the decision to vaccinate is not only a technical issue, but it affects the most important product of Greek livestock farming, the slice. “