The Rural Development and Food Ministry announced Wednesday it was canceling all aid programs for organic beekeeping and livestock farming, amid a rash of bogus applications by farmers to receive EU subsidies.
The announcement by Minister Margaritis Schinas, a former EU Commission vice president, put an end to speculation that the aid could restart after it was suspended in October 2025, when audits revealed the extent of the scandal. The program, budgeted at €134 million, would allocate €19 million to organic beekeeping and €115 million to organic livestock farming.
“We are obliged to cancel the problematic actions,” Schinas said at a press conference, adding that “there will be no future funding until we establish the appropriate (monitoring) framework.”
Schinas added that the funds from the canceled programs “will be redirected to other priorities, which we will announce soon.” He also noted that “we are in full coordination with Brussels, and they are fully informed about the situation.”
MPs and former ministers have been accused, in another case, of helping farmers illegally obtain EU subsidies.
