Vice Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis met today in Brussels with Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen. The exclusive topic of their discussion was the OPEKEPE and its absorption by the AADE.

Hatzidakis underlined the government’s decision to end any unfair practices in the payment of subsidies to farmers. But also the Prime Minister’s commitment to the rapid absorption of the OPEKEPE by the AADE, based on the timetables already announced, underlining the undisputed credibility of the tax authority in Greece. The Deputy Prime Minister also pointed out that, in the same context, the Greek Government’s will is to have the relevant legislative provisions passed by Parliament soon, so that the transition from OPEKEPE to AADE proceeds with speed and reliability, without hindering the payment of aid to farmers, provided of course that this follows the provisions of EU law. In the meantime, the action plan for the reliability of the aid payment system will also be implemented and updated where necessary. To this end, Mr Hatzidakis noted that the Greek authorities, and in particular the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and the Greek State Revenue Service, are ready to cooperate with the services of the European Commission as of next week.

For his part, Commissioner Hansen noted that he and the services of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development will cooperate immediately and on a regular basis with the Greek side, so that the absorption of OPEKEPE by AADE, as well as the whole plan of action, proceed with speed and in a way that satisfies the comments submitted by the European Commission. Both sides agreed to hold the first meeting next week.