Greek farmers clash with police amid protests over delayed EU subsidies

Greek farmers clashed with police in central and northern regions as a result of the late payment of EU funding.

As farmers brought hundreds of tractor-loading to obstruct the Athens-Thessaloniki national highway near Larissa, the city’s central city, police used tear gas on Sunday.

The farmers were able to close the highway ahead of additional protests scheduled for the following week, according to police, who made three arrests.

Local farm trade unionist Costas Tzelas told reporters, “We will stay here until]the government] provides solutions.

The delay in payments comes as a result of an investigation into a scandal where some farmers allegedly lied about owning livestock and land in exchange for EU agricultural subsidies.

Greek authorities claim that the con artists claimed to have received subsidies from the Common Agricultural Policy in amounts greater than 30 million euros ($35 million).

Farmers were given reduced EU subsidies as a result of the investigation into fraudulent claims, according to deputy minister of rural development and food Christos Kellas, who spoke to the ERT public broadcaster on Sunday.

He continued, “They received 100 million euros [116 million] less at this point. “Those who are entitled to funds will receive them after appeals.”

The parliament is looking into the government agency OPEKEPE, which provides roughly 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion) in EU aid to hundreds of thousands of farmers annually. The government has launched separate investigations.

A minister in the conservative government of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has already resigned as a result of the scandal.

Following the outbreak of sheep pox, which affected more than 400, 000 sheep and goats, all of whom had been killed to stop the disease, livestock farmers were also requesting compensation.