The recent scandal involving the embezzlement of hundreds of millions of European farm funds in Greece is not an isolated incident, but rather a trend not limited to the EU or Greece in particular. It involved 400 million Euros in subsidies to support sustainable agriculture and land management, allegedly plundered by politicians and their family members. Lax supervision, poor transparency, and a lack of accountability have enabled such fraud. Waste and mismanagement have plagued numerous aid programs around the world, supported by international organizations, many of which focus on the environment, climate, and nature conservation. These felonious acts are not only borne by those who steal public funds, but also by donor organizations, whose loose programs are inherently prone to misuse, waste and favouritism.
It is well established that successful implementation of public policies involving sweeping transformation requires a balance of incentives and deterrents, which support good practices and penalise harmful ones. For instance, phasing out ozone-depleting substances succeeded only with sustained financial and technical support for transition programs, especially in developing nations. Similarly, transitioning to renewable energy, adopting sustainable agricultural practices, preserving natural habitats, and reducing harmful pesticides and fertilizers demand robust financial backing. To maximize impact, this should be accompanied by high levies to penalize bad practices.
These programs, costing hundreds of billions, succeed only when they involve clear realistic goals, strict controls, and independent supervision. The worst is when program initiators supervise themselves, fostering favouritism and corruption among a select group of opportunists. In Greece, politicians and officials siphoned millions for fictitious farming projects, some on non-existent lands, falsifying documents and reports to cover their tracks. Alarmingly, one culprit in the latest fraud was the coordinator of EU funds in the Greek ruling party, which highlights serious flaws in the system. Such exploitation extends beyond agriculture to environment and climate initiatives, with private companies and bogus NGOs often complicit.
Scandals like this fuel populist isolationist movements seeking to discredit and dismantle the EU, by portraying it as a failed body. That’s why ending waste and corruption is essential to safeguarding the EU, a vital institution for the future of European countries, the Mediterranean, and global cooperation in general. The EU’s leading spot in global environment and climate action is indispensable, with its Green Deal, linking climate action with environment protection, serving as pioneering model. Despite delays from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ukraine war, and U.S. economic policy rumblings, the Green Deal sets ambitious targets for 2030, including 25% organic farming, 20% less chemical fertilizer, and 50% reduced pesticide use. The EU remains committed to carbon neutrality by 2050, with a 55% emissions cut by 2030, a critical balancing stance as the U.S. withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement. This makes Europe’s collaboration with China, in particular, on renewable energy and sustainable practices more vital than ever. Such cooperation gains urgency following the collapse of the plastic negotiations in Geneva, blocked by a few countries- with China embracing a conciliatory stance. This calls for repeating the experience of Paris Climate agreement ten years earlier, when China played a pivotal role to reach consensus and overcome the obstructionists.
The EU’s role and clout extend beyond its borders, particularly to its neighbours in southern Mediterranean countries, which rely on its support in many aspects, including the transition to sustainable development. In return, cooperation with these nations offer mutual opportunities and widens the scope of the EU region. The Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP), coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), under which Barcelona Convention and its protocols are implemented, unites the EU with 21 Mediterranean countries. One of the main MAP initiatives is the Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD), involving governments, NGOs, scientists, and local authorities. Its main objective is to monitor and update a common strategy translated into actions, fostering cooperation despite national and regional differences.
The Greek affair underscores the need for reform. Euro-Mediterranean programs must be transparently run under stringent governance. Regarding organs like the MCSD, it shouldn’t be tolerated that some parties exploit loopholes, by operating under different entity names controlled by the same individuals, thus violating rotation principles. Such practices block fair representation and prevent fresh perspectives by hijacking the floor and suppressing new vision. This also enables cliques to form, using their privileged position to funnel millions - often from EU funds - to entities they control, thus creating blatant conflict of interest.
The EU and its Mediterranean partners cannot afford to lose trust due to corruption. European peoples and their southern neighbours rely on the EU’s unifying spirit for cooperative action that contributes to global stability. Yet, maintaining its strength demands measures to ensure efficiency and prevent waste. Failure to act risks empowering populist movements and jeopardizing the EU’s role as a model of regional cooperation.
To address these challenges, the EU, as well as its UN partners, must enforce rigorous supervisory mechanisms, independent audits, and clear eligibility criteria for funding. Programs should prioritize measurable outcomes, with regular public reporting to ensure accountability. Encouraging open debate, strengthening whistle-blower protections and imposing severe penalties for fraud will deter misconduct. This will secure that misconduct similar to what happened in Greece could be prevented or detected at an early stage not after many years.
The Greek scandal is a wake-up call. It highlights the fragility of trust in international cooperation and the urgent need to protect public funds from misuse. By addressing these systemic flaws, alongside its international partners, the EU can reinforce its leadership in climate and environmental action, fostering a sustainable future for Europe and its neighbours. The stakes are high: unchecked corruption not only undermines progress but also threatens the foundations that make the EU a beacon of hope in a fractured world.
