Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met at Maximos Mansion with the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food, Christophe Hansen, who is visiting Greece as part of his tour of EU member states.

During the meeting, matters related to Mr. Hansen’s portfolio were discussed, with emphasis on reforming the agricultural subsidy system — centered on transferring OPEKEPE (the Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid) to the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) — and on the new Common Agricultural Policy.

Deputy Prime Minister Kostis Hatzidakis and Minister of Rural Development & Food Kostas Tsiaras also participated in the meeting.

At the start of the meeting, the Prime Minister and the European Commissioner had the following exchange:

Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Commissioner, I am glad you are here. I understand you already had very productive discussions with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Tsiaras. And of course you are arriving at a time when the number one issue on the agenda has to do with the reform of OPEKEPE. We made a very difficult, but I believe necessary decision to essentially transfer all OPEKEPE responsibilities to AADE. This is a complex transitional process, but I believe it is proceeding well.

We have already submitted our plan to your services, demonstrating our commitment to transparency and ultimately addressing all the problems we inherited from the past. I know this is not only a Greek problem — it is something that many other countries also face. However, we know, and I fully take responsibility for putting our internal affairs in order, and I want to inform you that there is commitment at the highest level of government to resolve all problems of the past.

The transition is difficult, because we must execute payments while at the same time ensuring our actions comply with the EU regulatory framework.

But I want you to be absolutely certain — we view this reform as one of the most important we are implementing and we remain fully committed to ensuring the new system will be efficient and fully transparent. For me, this is a prerequisite for the flourishing of our agricultural sector, which has shown positive progress in recent years but is capable of achieving much more.

Christophe Hansen: Thank you very much, Prime Minister, for the hospitality. This is the second day of my visit to Greece. I must say, I did not come only for the reason you mentioned — but because I had promised at the beginning of my mandate to visit all Member States in the first year, because I believe it is very important to learn about the diversity of agriculture and food production in the EU, which is the richness and strength of our agriculture.

Recently I was in Brazil with a delegation of 80 European agri-food producers, including seven companies from Greece active in dairy, olive oil, wine and spirits. Your cultural heritage, which is your high-quality food, is also something we Europeans can be very proud of.

Of course, I am also here because we are discussing the future of the Common Agricultural Policy and the next Multiannual Financial Framework. It has a new structure, but I believe we must target subsidies more effectively to our farmers — to those who need them the most. For me, these are the young farmers. We face a huge challenge with the renewal of the farming population. We also face a huge challenge with farmers who produce in areas with natural constraints. I want the funds to mainly go to those who need them most — to young farmers, to difficult areas. I believe this is something we will need to work on together over the next two years.

Also, regarding the CAP proposal and the MFF proposal, I believe we need to discuss how funds can be used more effectively — but I believe there are sufficient resources. What is also very important for me is that money should go to the real farmers — those who actively contribute to our food security and sovereignty — and this is what is on the table.

Naturally, this was also an opportunity to discuss the problems related to the situation of OPEKEPE, where we know many issues have been accumulating for decades and need to be corrected. I would like to thank you, Prime Minister, for prioritizing the correction of these deficiencies and that we are now examining together how we can resolve this matter.

We also received your action plan and I find it very positive that it arrived at the right moment. However, I wish to add that this is not a sprint — but a marathon. You have the Marathon here in Athens this Sunday. I believe we are already on the right path. The “athlete” is in good shape and now we must continue the good work we have done together in recent weeks and months in order to ensure Greek farmers receive the support that rightfully belongs to them under EU rules. We are working closely together on this issue and this cooperation will continue in the coming months