On Monday (4/8), the National Accreditation Council (ESYD) is expected to convene to decide on the first sanctions to be imposed on organic product certification companies by the Development Ministry. The meeting concerns two companies for which relevant inspections have already been completed and serious irregularities have been recorded. According to information from APE-MPE, ESYD will meet at least twice next week, with the first meeting scheduled for Monday, to proceed with disciplinary decisions. Complaints regarding these companies have already been forwarded to the competent prosecutors by Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos. At the same time, ESYD, following relevant instructions from the Ministry, continues intensive inspections of all accredited certification companies.
Development Ministry: first sanctions coming for organic product certification companies over violations
The first case involves a company based in Heraklion, Crete, which underwent an extraordinary evaluation on July 14 and 15, 2025. During the inspection, eleven Non-Conformities were recorded, three of which were characterized as particularly serious. Among other things, it appears that the company either downgraded or failed to detect critical findings in its clients – such as incompatibility between the declared area and the produced quantity of organic olive oil.
Additionally, a related anonymous complaint was submitted to ESYD on July 22, resulting in the company being called for a hearing, which took place during the 519th Council meeting on July 30. During the meeting, the company submitted an extensive memorandum, resulting in the decision being postponed to Monday’s meeting.
The competent ESYD directorate has recommended a six-month suspension of the company’s accreditation under the ELOT EN ISO/IEC 17065 standard for the organic products sector. At the same time, a new evaluation is proposed after the six-month period to determine whether the irregularities have been resolved, and the Council may even consider permanent revocation of accreditation.
Serious irregularities in second company – Continuous inspections to ensure reliability
The second case involves an Athens-based company that underwent an extraordinary evaluation on July 28 and 29, 2025. ESYD inspectors identified nine Non-Conformities, including conflicts of interest: the main shareholder of the certification company appears to be simultaneously a shareholder of a consulting company housed in the same building. Additionally, issuance of beekeeping certificates without adequate documentation of related inspections was identified. It should be noted that complaints against this company had been previously filed with ESYD on July 17 and 30, which have already been forwarded to the Justice system.
As competent officials comment to APE-MPE, inspections continue in all accredited companies operating in the organic products sector, aiming to ensure the reliability of certifications, proper payment of European subsidies and – primarily – the safety of the consuming public.
