Italy: EPPO seizes assets in investigation into organic wine fraud

(Luxembourg, 26 January 2024) – At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Naples (Italy), over €520 000 in assets have been seized, in an investigation into fraud involving EU agricultural funding aimed at supporting a wine producer’s conversion to organic farming.

At issue is a company operating in the wine sector, whose legal representatives attested that it had carried out the conversion to organic methods of cultivation, in order to receive funds co-financed by the EU. However, during checks carried out by Italy’s Institute for Ethical and Environmental Certification (ICEA – Istituto per la Certificazione Etica ed Ambientale), chemicals that are not allowed in organic farming were detected in the soil.

In order to recover the damage to the EU budget, the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) of Brindisi seized real estate of the suspects under investigation, following a freezing order issued by the judge for preliminary investigations at the Court of Lecce.

All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Italian courts of law.

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (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.