MP Zeybek questions fate of €1.74M cancelled animal disease fund

Hüseyin Zeybek, Member of Parliament for İskeçe representing the New Left Party Greece, has formally questioned the government over the cancellation of €1.742 million from a planned communication campaign budget tied to a livestock disease outbreak.

In a parliamentary inquiry addressed to the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Zeybek demanded clarity on why a significant portion of the originally allocated €2 million fund was scrapped, and what will happen to the remaining resources.

The inquiry follows a decision dated March 19, 2026, in which the ministry cancelled most of the planned expenditure. Officials cited “proper execution of accounting procedures” and the fact that the funds would no longer be used for their initial purpose. However, Zeybek argued that these explanations have failed to address growing public concerns.

At the center of the debate is a communication campaign designed to tackle an outbreak of sheep and goat pox. Critics, including the Panhellenic Federation of Public Employees in Veterinary Services, had previously argued that funds should instead be directed toward urgent operational needs such as veterinary services, laboratory infrastructure, and field inspections.

Zeybek suggested that the government may have reversed course in response to public backlash, adding that such a move could amount to an implicit acknowledgment of flawed initial planning.

In his parliamentary motion, Zeybek posed a series of key questions:

1. What are the real reasons behind the partial cancellation of €1.742 million? To what extent did criticism from institutions like POGEDY influence the decision?
2. Why was such a large budget initially allocated to a communication campaign instead of strengthening frontline capacities such as veterinary services and laboratory systems?
3. If the campaign was deemed necessary at the outset, why has the funding now been withdrawn? Conversely, if it was not essential, what justified the initial €2 million allocation? Were any scientific or administrative bodies consulted in the process?
4. How will the cancelled funds be reallocated, and which concrete sectors will benefit from these resources going forward?

The issue has sparked wider debate over public spending priorities in managing animal health crises, particularly regarding the balance between communication strategies and direct intervention capacities.

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