Greece probes farmers in €22.6m EU subsidy fraud scandal
Agency report
More than 1,000 Greek farmers and agribusinesses are under investigation for fraud, forgery and membership of a criminal organisation relating to the abuse of EU subsidies.
Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysodoidis on Tuesday said that the prosecutors had put the loss at 22.6 million euros (26.3 million dollars) thus far.
An investigation of around 6,400 tax reference numbers had revealed that individuals linked to 1,036 of them had received EU subsidies illegally, he said.
The average fraud per tax number came in at around 40,000 euros, Chrysalis said.
He said the money now had to be repaid, while criminal proceedings were being pursued and the relevant accounts had been frozen.
The European Union’s Anti-Fraud Office had first alerted the Greek authorities about violations in the administration of EU subsidies in March 2024.
The violations concerned fictitious information on alleged agricultural land and the payment of unjustified subsidies.
Rocky ground, woodland and even plots across the border in North Macedonia was declared as agricultural land eligible for subsidy.
According to media reports, the losses since 2017 could total 170 million euros in illegal payments.
In response, the Greek government shut down the authority responsible for the administration of EU agricultural subsidies. Investigations are also proceeding into staff at the authority.
dpa/NAN
