The European Commission has restored the accreditation of Greece’s agricultural payments body, which now operates as the General Directorate of Controls, Subsidies and Payments (GDCSP) under the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE).
The decision follows an on-site inspection carried out from 2 to 5 June 2026 by the Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture (DG AGRI), which assessed implementation of an action plan covering the period from September 2024 to March 2026.
Among the changes the Commission evaluated positively were an expansion of GDCSP staffing positions to 775, a plan to hire 230 new employees with prospects of permanent status, the completion of a process to appoint a Director-General, the introduction of a conflict-of-interest management framework, and the establishment of a fraud-prevention strategy and a Risk Management Team.
The Commission also reviewed steps taken to integrate the former payments agency into AADE without raising observations or recommendations. It called on Greek authorities to continue reform efforts, focusing on timely data provision to the Certification Body, completing staffing, improving oversight of authorised bodies, and fully embedding the new risk management framework into the Management and Control System.
Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis described the Commission’s decision as a milestone in restoring the credibility of the Greek agricultural payments system, saying the government was building a modern system with accountability, strong audit mechanisms and transparent procedures to protect taxpayers, European funds and honest producers. He added that the outcome was a significant vindication of efforts so far but not the end of the reform, with the goal remaining timely and fair payment of every subsidy to genuine beneficiaries.
Agriculture Minister Margaritis Schinas said restoring the system’s credibility had been his most urgent priority since taking office, and that the Commission’s decision marked the completion of a difficult reform, allowing Greece to regain a payments body operating with transparency, reliability and full compliance with European rules.
AADE Governor Giorgos Pitsilis said the lifting of the accreditation suspension reflected systematic work carried out over recent months. He noted that after 18 months under suspension, the Greek system was returning to normality, with the reform recognised by the European Commission as a meaningful step in the right direction.
