Olive harvest declaration extended to 2027

The Ministry of Rural Development and Food announced on Thursday 27 August 2026 a decision to extend by one year the implementation of the mandatory olive harvest declaration, according to naxostimes.gr and ekriti.gr. By decision of the Minister of Rural Development and Food Margaritis Schinas, following a recommendation by Deputy Minister Giannis Andrianos, the obligation of all lawful owners of olive plots to submit a harvest declaration is postponed to 1 October 2027, both websites reported. The related penalties will not be imposed before 1 October 2028, as clarified by naxostimes.gr and ekriti.gr. The amendment affects, according to the two publications, all lawful owners of olive plots in the country, with no reference to any exemption of specific regions or cultivations.

The measure amends the existing framework of harvest declarations, which initially provided for faster implementation of the mandatory requirement, according to the two sources. The objective of the Ministry, as reported by naxostimes.gr and ekriti.gr, is the gradual implementation of the system and the smooth adaptation of olive producers to the new obligations, through a transitional period that gives them additional preparation time. Both websites reported that the decision will take effect upon its publication in the Government Gazette, without mentioning a specific Government Gazette number or exact publication date.

For olive producers, the extension means that the submission of an olive harvest declaration will not be mandatory before 1 October 2027, giving them extra time to adapt to the procedures and requirements of the new system, according to naxostimes.gr. The postponement affects «all lawful owners of olive plots», as clarified by ekriti.gr, and is accompanied by an additional year before penalties are imposed, so that the transition to the new regime does not directly burden those who fail to comply. Naxostimes.gr summarised the two dates that producers should remember: 1 October 2027 for the start of mandatory submission of declarations and 1 October 2028 as the deadline before which no penalties are expected to be imposed. The decision does not alter other obligations of olive producers, nor does it refer to changes in subsidies or olive production controls, according to what the two websites published.

The obligation to submit declarations will be officially activated on 1 October 2027, while the 1 October 2028 deadline for penalties leaves room for an additional year of implementation without penalties, according to naxostimes.gr and ekriti.gr. The two websites did not report whether the Ministry plans an information campaign towards producers before the measure comes into effect, nor the exact number of olive producers expected to be affected nationally. More on agricultural and economic issues and national news will be updated as the implementation of the measure progresses.