Disability pensioners in Greece are now eligible for registration in the Registry of Farmers and Agricultural Enterprises (MAAE), provided they continue to engage in active agricultural activity and meet all legal requirements, according to a recent announcement by the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food.
The updated policy specifically extends eligibility to disability pensioners with a certified disability level of at least 67% — a group previously excluded from formal recognition as professional farmers. This change follows amendments to relevant legislation, including Law 3874/2010, as currently in force.
In addition to clarifying registration rights, the ministry’s circular provides detailed guidance to regional and local agricultural services on several key operational matters:
- Issuing official MAAE registration certificates
- Granting the status of professional farmer
- Recognizing newly entering professional farmers and holders of agricultural enterprises
- Ensuring interoperability between the MAAE digital platform and the Unified Social Security Fund (EFKA)
Spyros Protosaltis, General Secretary of Agricultural Development and Food, stated: “This circular provides clear, actionable instructions to our services and rectifies an injustice faced by disability pensioners who remain actively engaged in real agricultural production. Our goal is a fair, functional, and trustworthy Farmers’ Registry — one that reflects actual productive activity and does not exclude individuals who remain active in the primary sector, as long as they comply with legal requirements.”
He added: “At the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food, we continue working to simplify procedures, improve citizen service, and offer tangible support to those keeping rural Greece alive.”