A clear message that the new era for the primary sector lies in investments in water and agricultural infrastructure, sent from Metsovo by the Minister of Minister of Rural Development and Food, Margaritis Schinas, from Metsovo.
“Every euro of European and national funds must be put to good use and go to the actual beneficiaries,” Mr. Schinas emphasized during the 2nd regional meeting of the National Dialogue on the new Common Agricultural Policy, stressing that the available funds will be directed toward investments that leave a lasting impact on the primary sector and support production for decades.
Specifically, the minister announced that 80 million euros freed up from the organic livestock farming and organic beekeeping programs, payments for which had been frozen following his own decision based on audit findings, will be directed toward water infrastructure and small-scale public irrigation projects, with the country’s municipalities as beneficiaries.
At the same time, he clarified that the decision was made following extensive audits conducted on organic production programs, which revealed high rates of noncompliance and voluntary withdrawals, noting that the government has made a strategic decision to put an end to practices that deprive genuine producers of resources.
Greece will advocate for a strong policy with adequate resources
In the broader context of the debate on the new CAP, Mr. Schinas emphasized that Greece will advocate for a strong policy with adequate resources, greater national flexibility, and a particular focus on water management, young farmers, competitiveness, and cooperatives.
“Greece has no reason to enter the negotiations on the defensive. We have every reason to be leaders,” he stated emphatically.
In fact, he noted that the discussion on the new CAP cannot be limited to numbers and the amount of funds that will be allocated after 2028. The real issue at stake is the production model Europe will choose for the coming decades, and the role Greece will play within it.
As he explained, at the heart of Greece’s position is the need to maintain a strong Common Agricultural Policy, with adequate resources, greater national flexibility, and more trust in member states, so that they can adapt policy tools to the actual needs of their producers.
Mr. Schinas pointed out that the needs of Mediterranean agriculture cannot be addressed with the same tools designed for the entirely different agricultural realities of northern and central Europe. He specifically emphasized that for countries such as Greece, water is now a strategic resource, and its management must be at the core of the new agricultural policy.
In presenting the key guidelines of the Greek proposal for the new period, Mr. Schinas identified as priorities support for young and new farmers, fair income support for producers with an emphasis on small and medium-sized farms, strengthening competitiveness through investment, innovation, and new value chains; supporting cooperatives; and the sustainable management of natural resources, with a particular emphasis on irrigation water.
1.8 million euros in emergency aid for producers in Lapsista
The minister made special mention of the Lapsista plain in Ioannina and the need for proper management of irrigation water, noting that the current situation highlights in the most emphatic way the importance of investments in water infrastructure and the proper management of irrigation water. In fact, speaking at the event, he announced that producers in the region affected by the water shortage in 2025 will receive more than 1.8 million euros in support through the de minimis scheme.
At the same time, he placed particular emphasis on the proposal submitted by the Krya Water Supply and Irrigation Association – Lapsista for an irrigation project with a budget of 21.6 million euros, as part of the call for proposals for the country’s major irrigation projects. As he noted, the proposal is already under evaluation, and the ministry’s goal is to complete the relevant process by fall so that the next steps toward its implementation can proceed.
Concluding his speech, the minister noted that the consultation on the new CAP, which begins in the region starting in Metsovo, is a discussion of national significance, the decisions of which will shape the country’s productive footprint for the entire next generation.
