A bill incorporating into Greek law a European Union directive (2019/2235) updating a tax agreement between the Greek state and the shipping community, along with other tax and wage regulations, passed in Parliament plenary on Tuesday with ruling New Democracy and PASOK-KINAL votes.
SYRIZA, the Communist Party of Greece, and MeRA25 voted against the bill, which included urgent tax and customs regulations and wage-related issues, among others. Greek Solution voted "present".
Speaking in Parliament, Finance Deputy Minister Apostolos Vesyropoulos said the bill is part of the premier's wider institutional interventions to reduce the tax burden on citizens and to support households and businesses.
The update of a 2019 agreement with the shipowners was announced on November 24. Under the amendment, shipowners will voluntarily pay to the state 60 million euros annually in lieu of taxes, compared to 40 million euros agreed on in 2019. The signing, which included the prime minister and finance minister and the Union of Greek Shipwoners president, came after long negotiations with the European Commission.