The Extraordinary General Assembly of the Hellenic Slaughterhouses Union (ESE), with the participation of EDOTOKK, was successfully held on Sunday, 11 October 2026, at the Grecotel Larissa Imperial in Larissa. The assembly focused on rationalising and cleaning up the sector, the lawful operation of slaughterhouses, certification, a safe, high-quality product, and the competitiveness and export potential of the Greek meat industry.
The “Greek Slaughterhouse of Tomorrow”
The President of EDOTOKK and Vice President of ESE, Athanasios Kasidis, presented the vision for the “Greek Slaughterhouse of Tomorrow”: a modern, certified and reliable slaughterhouse that operates with rules, transparency and respect for both consumers and producers.
With a shared vision, responsibility and cooperation, we are building a stronger and more reliable future for the slaughterhouse sector in Greece.
Initiative: Body of Certified Meat Exporters
EDOTOKK presented its initiative to create a Body of Certified Meat Exporters, with the aim of ensuring that quality Greek meat reaches foreign markets from reliably certified slaughterhouses and processors. The initiative is built on three steps:
- Membership of the slaughterhouses and businesses that meet the requirements.
- Common rules of operation and quality for all participants.
- Certification that safeguards the credibility of the Greek product in international markets.
The follow-up: Association of Greek Meat and Meat Product Exporting Companies
A few days later, on 14 October, the dialogue moved to a new stage with a meeting on the creation of the Association of Greek Meat and Meat Product Exporting Companies, attended by Nikos Loustas, CEO and founder of Mega Gyros. The Association is designed as a technical support centre for exporters, with activities such as:
- checking the completeness of export files,
- information and alerts for each destination country,
- practical guides,
- training and coordination.
The Association will not issue certificates and will not replace the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, the veterinary services or the TRACES system. Participation will be voluntary and based on criteria: export experience, a lawful and traceable supply chain, food-safety certifications, inclusion in the statute and annual reconfirmation. Members retain full commercial independence, and confidentiality and competition law are observed.
Export orientation of Greek meat needs common tools and reliable technical support. We want an Association that prevents delays and errors, strengthens exporters’ readiness and works in a complementary way to the competent authorities.
The next step is to complete the statute and to broaden the dialogue with more exporting companies in the sector. More on the initiative: read the related article.