The operation marks the first enforcement action of this scale under a joint action plan agreed between the Greek government and the European Commission. Authorities are seeking to identify beneficiaries who may have artificially created the conditions required to qualify for agricultural support payments.
The inspections involved 58 AADE officials deployed from across the country, who conducted simultaneous visits to livestock facilities with support from the Hellenic Police. Farmers were notified only a few hours before the inspections, giving them time to assemble their herds and prepare the required documentation.
Of the 195 farmers selected for inspection, only 75 appeared for the checks. Authorities identified irregularities in 22 of those cases, with the findings now being cross-checked against data held in AADE's digital systems using algorithmic analysis. Depending on the outcome of the review, those found to have violated the rules could face penalties, including the loss of subsidy payments.
ΔΙΑΒΑΣΤΕ ΕΠΙΣΗΣ
The 120 farmers who failed to present themselves for inspection will automatically forfeit subsidies linked to their 2025 applications and will be subject to new inspections in 2026. If they have already received 2025 payments based on their declared livestock numbers, those funds will be treated as improperly disbursed and recovered by the state. They will also lose eligibility for redistributive payments for the remainder of the current EU funding period.
According to AADE, the average producer inspected had declared 322 sheep and goats. A full verification of a herd of roughly 300 animals required about four hours of work by a two-person inspection team. Although tensions were reported on the first day of the operation, the inspections concluded without major incident, aided by a police presence.
AADE Governor George Pitsilis said the inspections send a clear signal that agricultural subsidies should reach only those entitled to receive them. He described the operation as Greece's first coordinated mass field inspection designed to verify whether subsidy declarations accurately reflect conditions on the ground, adding that similar inspections will continue nationwide to strengthen transparency, ensure the fair allocation of EU funds and protect public finances.
