The parliamentary investigative committee will concentrate on the operations of OPEKEPE, the agency that manages the EU agricultural subsidies in Greece. Opposition parties accuse the Conservative government of deliberately limiting the scope to avoid accountability of previous ministers. Government parties have so far rejected this.
The decision to conduct a limited parliamentary inquiry was supported by 166 of the 300 representatives. Although the debate in parliament was heated, there was a majority that recognized the seriousness of the matter.
A Greek court this week sentenced seven individuals for fraud involving agricultural subsidies in northwest Greece. The group unlawfully received European subsidies for livestock that did not exist or was never found. The court sentenced them to prison terms and fines. The case is considered an example of broader systematic problems within the Greek agency.
In addition to the developments in Greece, actions have also been taken in the Czech Republic against irregularities with EU agricultural subsidies. Farmers who received support incorrectly are required to repay it. According to Czech authorities, subsidies were wrongly paid to companies that did not meet the eligibility criteria for support.
The European Commission is closely monitoring the situation in Greece. Greek authorities are reportedly cooperating with European institutions to support the investigation. No announcements have yet been made regarding possible sanctions or recoveries from Brussels.
It remains unclear whether the parliamentary investigation will lead to criminal prosecution of senior officials within OPEKEPE or the Ministry of Agriculture. It is also uncertain whether further lawsuits will follow arising from the already uncovered irregularities.