Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos described the establishment of a new Independent Consumer Protection and Market Supervision Authority as a “very serious institutional reform” that substantially strengthens consumer protection, during his address at the discussion of the Development Ministry’s bill in Parliament’s Permanent Committee on Production and Trade. “We are definitively solving the problem of fragmentation of services and mechanisms that monitor the market and creating for the first time a unified, coordinated mechanism for control and consumer protection,” he emphasized.
Theodorikakos underlined that to effectively tackle high prices, the disposable income of the average Greek family must be further strengthened. “To have better wages, we need a more productive and more competitive economy,” he noted, reminding that under the New Democracy government “500,000 new jobs were created and unemployment was reduced from 18% to 8%”. At the same time, he highlighted the tax reliefs from January 1, 2026, which strengthen the disposable income of workers, particularly young people and families with children.
Theodorikakos: “Parliament will be the only body controlling the new Authority”
Referring to the new Authority, which is being strengthened with 300 new inspectors and equipped with modern digital tools, the minister noted that it will operate on the model of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue and will have a director and three deputy directors with five-year independent terms, who will not be subject to any government control. “Parliament will be the only body controlling the new Authority,” he emphasized.
He noted that in recent months market inspections and fines for violations have increased significantly, stressing that he himself has faced personal political attacks on this issue.
“We must enforce legality. The law applies to everyone, and that is what I am trying to do with absolute consistency,” he stressed.
Regarding provisions concerning the Competition Commission, he emphasized that it is being strengthened with 50 new staff members, adding that “we fully adopted everything it requested to do its job better”.
The Development Minister called on all parties to support the reform: “Citizens want concrete solutions and serious proposals, not a return 40 years back. The new Authority serves the public interest and will contribute to the proper functioning of the market and the protection of society”.
