New York Times Olive Oil

He wanted to start a business selling olive-based products online from Greece - olive oils, cosmetics and the like - and he set about collecting the necessary approvals, stamps and documents. For 10 months he kept at it, even when the Health Department insisted his board members provide lung X-rays and stool samples. So began the tale of Fotis Antonopoulos, a successful Web program designer from Athens, whose olive-oil dream became something of an Orwellian nightmare.

Despite the government’s promises to improve, starting a business in Greece remains discouragingly complicated, as is demonstrated by one man’s effort to sell olive products online.