Commission proposes measures to ensure that Greek farmers can receive EU support payments

Mariann Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, today put forward a plan to ensure that Greece will put in place the systems necessary to allow EU aid payments to be made to farmers. Greece has informed the Commission of the problems it faces because the late introduction of payment applications by farmers though their farmers unions makes it impossible to pay out the 2009 direct aids. The problems are caused by delays in the introduction of the precise location of the individual agricultural parcels into the new Land Parcel Identification System, used for the first time in Greece this year (digitalisation of the parcels). As payments can only start when all controls have been done, including cross-checks for which digitalisation has to be finalised, it is vital that a firm date is fixed after which the introduction of payment applications by farmers will no longer be accepted. In order to help Greek farmers, Commissioner Fischer Boel is ready to propose to the Commission the fixing of an exceptional extra period for introducing these parcel locations. The final firm date proposed is 31 January, 2010. Parcels not digitalised by that date will be excluded from any payments for the year 2009.

The Commissioner is unwilling to accept a situation where a minority of farmers are preventing the majority from receiving the money they are entitled to. The approach proposed should allow the Greek administration to finalise the administrative cross checks, the on-the-spot checks as well as the checks by remote sensing by the end of February 2010. Once all these controls are finalised, payments can be made to farmers for the parcels digitalised and controlled.

It is clear that this measure is an absolute exception which will not be repeated in future. That is why the Greek authorities should take all necessary measures to ensure that the digitisation of the parcels is stable before the start of the 2010 claim year. This is essential so as not to jeopardise the lodging of 2010 claims, the controls and subsequent payments of these claims. This is also the reason why no date later than 31 January 2010 can be accepted for 2009 applications.

Commissioner Fischer Boel has also asked the Greek minister to take all necessary measures to assure as soon as possible clear and firm leadership in the Greek administration and in particular in OPEKEPE, the Greek payments agency.