A New Era for Agricultural Subsidies: OPEKEPE Transition to AADE and Detailed Payment Schedule

The institutional transition of ΟΠΕΚΕΠΕ (Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid) under the umbrella of ΑΑΔΕ (Independent Authority for Public Revenue) marks a radical shift for the agricultural sector, introducing structural reforms to the subsidy system. During a joint press conference, the Governor of AADE, Georgios Pitsilis, and the Minister of Rural Development, Margaritis Schinas, outlined the new operational framework while announcing the detailed schedule for payments to farmers.

“The party is over for the opportunists”

The Minister of Rural Development characterized the transfer of OPEKEPE's responsibilities to AADE as an extremely demanding process, noting however that major changes require bold decisions. Addressing those who exploited system weaknesses—following new tax regulations aimed at tackling tax evasion—Mr. Schinas sent a clear message, stating that “the party is over for the opportunists.”

He emphasized that, moving forward, audits will be conducted in a correct and appropriate manner. He also clarified that payments to producers will continue uninterrupted and within the established schedules, summarizing the philosophy of the new regime with the phrase: "We are changing so that we can pay."

Detailed Payment Schedule

During the briefing, detailed data on the payment schedule were released, as recorded in the weekly economic review of digital transformation, with the total amount for the year estimated at €2.23 billion ($2.41 billion), to be distributed among 3,422,190 beneficiaries. It is noted that €258,718,797 ($279.42 million) had already been paid to 165,704 beneficiaries in the first four months of the year.

For the month of May, the payment of €295,551,000 ($319.20 million) is planned for 160,000 ecological schemes, while an additional €1.5 million ($1.62 million) will be allocated for 1,000 pending cases from 2018. In June, it is estimated that €509,500,000 ($550.26 million) will be paid to 477,890 beneficiaries.

The payment trajectory for the second half of the year is structured as follows:

• During July, September, and October, €119,800,000 ($129.38 million) will be paid to 732,298 beneficiaries.
• In November, a payment of €491,000,000 ($530.28 million) is scheduled for 508,038 beneficiaries.
• In December, the cycle will conclude with the payment of €555,000,000 ($599.40 million) to 1,156,000 beneficiaries.

Digital Applications and New AADE Actions

As part of the modernization process, the EAE 2025 platform (for monitoring corrections and document attachment) and the Agrisnap application for submitting new photos were opened for one week.

Simultaneously, additional actions have been launched by AADE, such as the application "Recording of Quantities for Coupled Support Schemes" (paradoseis.aade.gr). Platforms for de minimis aid for alfalfa and fertilizers will remain open until the end of May. Alfalfa payments will be made in the third ten-day period of June, while fertilizer payments will be made gradually in mid-June, July, and September.

The new digital ecosystem is completed by the new ΟΣΔΕ (Integrated Administration and Control System) application (available until mid-June), the operation of the new digital control tool ΜΙΔΑ (MIDA, a digital audit tool for benefits and subsidies—Phase A in early June), the interoperability of AADE and ΥΠΑΑΤ (Ministry of Rural Development and Food) registries, myDATA 2.0-Taxonomy (Greece's mandatory e-invoicing platform, for products such as milk, meat, honey, oil, and potatoes), and the introduction of new technologies for livestock monitoring.