Arvanitis to European Commission: Urgent support needed for Greek livestock farmers amid reemergence of sheep and goat pox
Greek MEP Kostas Arvanitis, Vice President of The Left in the European Parliament and head of SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance's delegation, has called on the European Commission to urgently support Greek livestock farmers following the reappearance of sheep and goat pox in several regions of the country.
In a written question to the Commission, Arvanitis stressed that thousands of livestock animals are being culled, pushing real livestock farmers to the brink of economic collapse. Many of these farmers, he noted, have not received the subsidies they are entitled to, due to alleged embezzlement by a criminal network that diverted EU funds to so-called “ghost farmers.”
The disease has resurfaced in Thessaly, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Halkidiki, and Phocis, compounding the struggles of farmers already hit by natural disasters, including floods from extreme weather events like Ianos, Daniel, and Elias.
Arvanitis criticized the lack of preventive measures, weak border checks on livestock imports—particularly from the Balkans—and the understaffing of veterinary services.
He asked the European Commission:
- Whether it intends to provide emergency financial aid to affected livestock farmers.
- If it plans to strengthen monitoring and veterinary support, especially in border regions, through programs for the health protection of animal production.
- Whether it considers transhumant livestock farming, which has been particularly hard-hit, in need of special support under the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), including policies for mountainous and rural areas of the EU.
The issue, Arvanitis emphasized, reflects broader structural deficiencies and calls for long-term strategic intervention at the European level.
Source: Paratiritis News
