Greek Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis met with the EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Net-Zero Emissions, and Clean Growth, Wopke Hoekstra, in Athens on Monday.
The two men discussed major European challenges, including green transition, boosting industrial competitiveness, and tax fairness.
More specifically, the agenda of talks focused on streamlining EU climate policies and implementing Pillars 1 and 2 of the OECD/G20 Global Tax Agreement, which aim to ensure fair taxation of multinational corporations.
In statements following the meeting, Pierrakakis stressed that “Greece has consistently opposed tariffs and supports free trade, which ensures better prices for consumers, boosts competition, and optimizes global production based on each country’s comparative advantage.”
The Greek Minister also underlined that Greece supports the European Commission in these complex negotiations, stating that the EU should act in a coordinated manner toward strategic autonomy, strengthening sustainable growth.
He noted that the discussion was particularly timely as the idea of taxing digital services gains traction, while the EU moves forward with a new initiative to impose a €2 processing fee on low-cost parcels—mainly originating from Asian third countries.
On his part, the EU Climate Action Commissioner praised Greece for its “outstanding performance in the economy” as well as in the area of climate action.
The Dutch official also highlighted the country’s significant progress in reducing the tax gap, stressing it was essential for increasing tax revenues in a fair and sustainable manner.
