News

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.

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.

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. 

(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. This includes collecting additional information from the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (Fiscalía Anticorrupción) and Central Court number 2 (Juzgado Central número 2), as well as from the different agencies in charge of managing EU funding. Based on the information gathered, a decision was taken to formally initiate the investigation for alleged crimes of embezzlement of public funds, prevarication and influence peddling in accordance with the national law and the EPPO Regulation.

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 t

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. 

Yesterday, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Munich and Cologne (Germany) moved against a suspected criminal organisation, believed to have orchestrated a massive €195 million VAT fraud through the sale of smartphones, small electronic devices and protective face masks. During yesterday’s transnational action led by EPPO under the investigation cluster Midas, more than 180 searches were carried out and 14 people were arrested in 17 countries (Albania, Austria, Cyprus, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden and the UK). Over 680 tax and police investigators supported the investigative measures. 

Today, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Zagreb (Croatia) is conducting urgent evidence-collecting activities, in cooperation with the Istarska County Police Administration against two persons.