Executive Vice-President Roxana Mînzatu has declined to intervene in a Greek dispute over the exclusion of military personnel from remote and border area allowances, stating that the matter falls entirely within national competence. In a written answer to a parliamentary question from ECR MEP Emmanouil Fragkos, Mînzatu said the Commission has no relevant information or authority to evaluate whether the non-granting of such allowances to soldiers in Kilkis — a region classified as a category A problematic area under Greek law — constitutes indirect unequal treatment under EU law. The answer, published on 20 July 2026, effectively closes the door on EU-level action, leaving the issue to Greek authorities and courts.
The question, submitted by Fragkos, invoked Articles 20 and 31 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Pillar of Social Rights, arguing that military personnel face unfair discrimination compared to other public sector employees in the same region. Mînzatu countered that EU law does not guarantee identical financial benefits across all public sector workers and only protects against discrimination based on part-time or fixed-term status, or on grounds such as age, sex, disability, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. The geographical and social conditions cited by the MEP do not fall under these protected categories.
On the issue of staffing and operational readiness in border areas, Mînzatu acknowledged that retention of adequate personnel may be affected by economic conditions, but stressed that assessing the operational needs of the armed forces and designing appropriate incentives remains a national prerogative. The Commission will not examine the situation under European social cohesion or territorial balance policies, since the measure concerns military pay and service conditions. Mînzatu noted that cohesion policy and the European Social Fund Plus aim to reduce regional disparities but do not harmonise national armed forces' allowance systems.
the Commission will not use EU social or equality law to challenge member states' decisions on military remuneration, even when those decisions create disparities within the public sector. No further institutional follow-up is expected at EU level. The ball is now in the court of Greek national authorities and the judiciary to address any alleged discrimination.