Last week, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Vilnius (Lithuania) filed an indictment against nine individuals and two companies, for fraud involving EU funds to build a retirement home. 

(Luxembourg, 15 March 2024) – In an investigation into textile smuggling led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bologna (Italy), the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) of Prato have seized 2.4 million metres of illegally imported fabric, with an estimated value of €3 million.

Yesterday, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bucharest (Romania) notified the Bucharest Tribunal of an indictment against an individual and a company, on charges related to non-procurement fraud.

This was based on an investigation, conducted by the EPPO, which uncovered evidence of discrepancies regarding funds totalling €920 000, received under a financing contract within the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 2014-2020. 

Yesterday, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Timișoara and Bucharest (Romania) carried out searches in the city of Arad and in other locations, in a probe into a suspected fraud involving a project funded by the Regional Operational Programme 2014–2020, with over €3 million of non-reimbursable funding from the EU and national sources.

At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Milan (Italy), one individual has been placed under house arrest, and charged with a €41.8 million VAT fraud and the misappropriation of €6.7 million in public funds, among other offences. 

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Cologne (Germany) has brought charges against five members of an organised crime group, suspected of a large-scale VAT fraud scheme concerning the international trade of more than 10 000 cars. This is the first indictment in the investigation, code-named ‘Huracán’, transmitted to the Regional Court in Düsseldorf.

(Luxembourg, 4 March 2024) - The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) in Madrid (Spain) has opened an investigation regarding the contracts signed by the Canarian Health Service and the Health Service of the Balearic Islands for the supply of face masks. After receiving a complaint from an individual, the EPPO carried out various measures aimed at verifying its jurisdiction to investigate the alleged facts.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Zagreb (Croatia) has initiated an investigation against two Croatian citizens for subsidy fraud and document forgery. Both individuals were arrested yesterday, 29 February 2024, at the EPPO’s request, following investigation activities conducted by the Istria County Police Administration and the Croatian Tax Administration’s Independent Sector for Financial Investigations. 

The latest Annual Report of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) shows that at the end of 2023, it had a total of 1 927 active investigations, with an overall estimated damage to the EU budget of €19.2 billion – 59% of which (€11.5 billion, corresponding to 339 investigations) was linked to serious, cross-border VAT fraud.

Yesterday, a working arrangement was signed between the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and Czechia’s Supreme Audit Office (SAO).