Citizen complaint to the European Commission over HEDNO ends up with OLAF

Greek citizens are increasingly turning to European institutions in an effort to obtain substantiated answers regarding the problems they face with HEDNO (the Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator).

In previous reports, we published a series of complaints from citizens who spoke of hardship, poor service and, above all, allegations of electricity theft that appear, at first glance, at least excessive.

As an aside, trials involving electricity theft cases in Greek courts have become an almost daily occurrence, with thousands of such cases pending. This situation hardly appears normal.

In any case, a Greek citizen (whose details are in the possession of NEWS 24/7) submitted a detailed briefing report on HEDNO to the European Commission last October.

The report, which was also forwarded to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, refers to structural and regulatory distortions in the Greek energy sector that appear to be incompatible with European Union law and the principle of proportionality.

The submission is structured into seven chapters, with telling titles such as: “Structural failures and market distortions,” “Examples of unjust prosecutions in courts for electricity theft,” and “Electricity theft accusations can be used to cover energy losses attributable to HEDNO.”

In the concluding paragraph, it is explicitly stated that the facts described raise serious questions as to whether Greece is fulfilling its obligations under EU law, while reference is made to the absence of a relevant regulatory framework in Greece.

It is also stressed that “the continuation of these practices undermines consumer rights, distorts market integrity and erodes public trust in the European legal order.”

Most importantly, the response from the office of the European Public Prosecutor reveals that the allegations in question may fall within the remit of OLAF. Specifically, it is noted that the reported issues “may fall within the scope of the competence of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).”

According to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the relevant file has already been handed over to OLAF “for examination.”

As is well known, OLAF conducts independent administrative investigations into fraud, corruption and other illegal activities affecting the financial interests of the European Union, including serious misconduct by EU officials.