With the votes of ruling New Democracy’s party, an agriculture-related bill was passed with a majority vote late Tuesday night.
The bill was voted a few hours after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had met with representatives of farmers who are currently demonstrating across Greece.
The opposition parties voted against the draft law, except for the Greek Solution party, which positioned itself with a “present” vote.
The amendment of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance with changes to the Uniform Property Tax (ENFIA) was voted by a wide majority from all parties except the Communist Party of Greece, which positioned itself with a “present” vote.
In his closing remarks, Deputy Minister of Rural Development Dionysis Stamenitis emphasized the significance of the bill, highlighting the government’s commitment to modernize the primary sector through the introduction of new technologies and innovation, as well as to enhance the position of producers.
“We maintain an open dialogue with producers, who recognize the steadfast support of New Democracy governments and the Prime Minister,” Stamenitis affirmed. Echoing agricultural measures implemented since 2019, he confirmed plans to reinstate the Special Consumption Tax on Diesel in 2024 and implement measures to ease the financial burden on producers regarding electricity costs.
Emphasizing the government’s readiness to collaborate with producers and address their concerns, the Deputy Minister remarked, “We are committed to finding realistic solutions to every challenge they encounter.”
Additionally, he disclosed ongoing discussions with Southern European countries regarding the renegotiation of the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) strategy. Stamenitis highlighted the European Commission’s decision to postpone the one-year fallow period as evidence of Greece’s alignment with other nations in charting a progressive course for agricultural policies.
