(Luxembourg, 26 March 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Ljubljana (Slovenia) is leading an investigation into an attempted fraud involving EU funds for solar power plants, with house searches carried out this week by the Police Directorate Celje (Policijska uprava Celje).
The investigation initially concerned irregularities in a public tender for the co-financing of small solar power plants, financed by the European Cohesion Fund. During checks of a payment request amounting to €215 265.37, it was established that the applicant company had allegedly placed binding orders for equipment before submitting its application, in breach of the tender conditions. As additional documents raised doubts as to their authenticity, no funds were disbursed in this case.
Further investigative measures revealed that, between September 2022 and January 2023, the same company submitted five applications under the same scheme for installations at different locations, all on the rooftops of a supermarket chain. According to the investigation, the company falsely declared that the solar panels would be supplied by a third-party company, while in reality the equipment was provided by the applicant itself. This constitutes a further breach of the tender rules, which required that equipment be supplied and installed by independent third parties under market conditions.
Based on four of these applications, the company received payments totalling €955 275.90.
During the searches, carried out at the premises of suspects and companies, as well as in vehicles, investigators seized documents, electronic data and devices.
All persons concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in the competent Slovenian courts of law.
The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.