(20 November 2018) – The damage caused by austerity-driven bailouts in Greece could raise the issue of legal liability of the EU institutions and possible compensation, according to Olivier de Shutter.
.De Shutter, a former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food, commented on a report released on 20 November, which concluded that the austerity measures taken during the Greek crisis led to a violation of the right to food.
According to the “Democracy Not For Sale: The Struggle for Food Sovereignty in the Age of Austerity in Greece” report conducted by the Transnational Institute, FIAN International and Agroecopolis, the bailouts dealt a severe blow to Greece’s rural economy.
The report noted that almost 40% of rural citizens in Greece are at risk of poverty, while unemployment in rural areas soared from 7% in 2008 to 25% in 2013. Similarly, the rural income per capita dropped by 23.5% during the 2008–2013 period.
In addition, food insecurity doubled during the crisis from 7% in 2008 to more than 14% in 2016 while 40% of Greek children face material and social deprivation. (EurActiv)