Press Release: Commission proposes measures to ensure that Greek farmers can receive EU support payments

Mariann Fischer Boel, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, on 18 December 2009 put forward a plan to ensure that Greece will put in place the systems necessary to allow EU aid payments to be made to farmers. Greece has informed the Commission of the problems it faces because the late introduction of payment applications by farmers through their farmers unions makes it impossible to pay out the 2009 direct aids. The problems are caused by delays in the introduction of the precise location of the individual agricultural parcels into the new Land Parcel Identification System, used for the first time in Greece in 2009 (digitalisation of the parcels). As payments can only start when all controls have been done, including cross-checks for which digitalisation has to be finalised, it is vital that a firm date is fixed after which the introduction of payment applications by farmers will no longer be accepted. In order to help Greek farmers, Commissioner Fischer Boel is ready to propose to the Commission the fixing of an exceptional extra period for introducing these parcel locations. The final firm date proposed is 31 January 2010. Parcels not digitalised by that date will be excluded from any payments for the year 2009.

• Primary Source