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09/04/2026   European Public Prosecutor's Office News

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Romania: EPPO probes €20 million fraud involving projects for industrial production (Luxembourg, 9 April 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bucharest (Romania) carried out searches on Wednesday in an investigation into possible fraud involving two projects for the manufacture of lithium-ion battery units and prefabricated metal modular structures, amounting to approximately €10 million each, co-funded by the EU. A total of 14 house and company searches were carried out in Romania and Bulgaria to gather evidence. Investigative measures were also carried out in Austria and the United Kingdom (UK). Seven suspects will be brought to the EPPO’s office in Bucharest to be informed of their status as suspects. According to the investigation, the beneficiaries of the projects submitted false or inaccurate documents to the managing authority in Romania between 2020 and 2024, namely false offers for the projects’ budget, as well as inaccurate documents to prove their own financial contribution and financial capacity. It is understood that the same funds were repeatedly used for both projects to create the appearance of financial solidity, and were transferred to the beneficiaries’ accounts only for the period necessary to generate supporting bank statements – thereby illegally securing funds from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), of which they have already received €7.5 million. It is further alleged that one of the projects was unlawfully implemented with the assistance of a public official, who certified false information in the on-site visit reports. These reports, which formed the basis for the subsequent extension of the financing contract and the project implementation period, falsely indicated that the equipment required by the supply contract had arrived in the country, even though the main supplier had not actually purchased any equipment.   Press release Investigation Podlimit: Nine Czech companies under scrutiny in large-scale import fraud case involving Chinese goods (Luxembourg, 10 April 2026) – At the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Bratislava (Slovakia) and Liberec (Czechia), multiple searches and investigative measures were conducted today in Czechia and Slovakia, in a probe into suspected large-scale customs fraud and VAT evasion involving the imports of textiles, shoes and e-commerce goods from China into the EU. The investigation, code-named ‘Podlimit’ (‘below the limit’ in Slovak) conducted by the Financial Administration Criminal Office (Kriminálny úrad finančnej správy) in Slovakia, concerns nine Czech companies and their suspected involvement in a fraudulent scheme where large quantities of goods were allegedly smuggled from China to Slovakia and Czechia, by abusing the Customs Procedure 42 (CP42). This procedure, created to simplify cross-border trade, exempts importers from paying VAT in the country of importation, if the imported goods are subsequently transported to another EU Member State. The tax must then be paid upon release of the goods. The companies, operating between June 2017 and December 2018, allegedly issued false Single Administrative Documents (SADs) to facilitate the import of Chinese textiles, footwear, and e-commerce goods into the European Union through multiple entry points, including ports in Germany, Poland, and Slovenia. According to the findings, the goods were transported by truck in sealed containers to Slovakia, where they were declared for customs clearance and released for free circulation. However, instead of being delivered to their declared destination in Czechia, the shipments were allegedly redirected -under instructions from the Czech companies- to other, undisclosed locations. It is suspected that many of the declared transactions existed only on paper, and that the goods ultimately entered the black market without the payment of VAT in the country of actual delivery.   more   Press release Italy: Three convicted for €6.4 million fraud with EU subsidies intended for LNG infrastructure projects (Luxembourg, 9 April 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Venice (Italy) has secured convictions against three defendants, two administrators and one employee of a consortium company, for the misappropriation of EU funds intended for the development of the Italian liquefied natural gas (LNG) network. Between 2016 and 2021, the now bankrupt consortium company received €6 351 088,56 in EU funding to manage and promote several projects related to the construction and operation of natural gas refuelling infrastructure near ports. These projects aimed to support the transition from traditional maritime fuels and included, among others, the development of prototypes for liquefied natural gas containers. The funding was granted under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) programme by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. The investigation, carried out with the support of the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza) of Venice and Rome, showed that a significant portion of the funds (€5 586 487,03) had been diverted from their intended purposes. The company lacked the organisational structure, technical expertise and qualified personnel necessary to implement the projects. Moreover, EU funds were used to pay individuals without the appropriate technical skills, to finance activities unrelated to the projects, and to cover personal expenses. The consortium company was declared bankrupt by Padua Court on 3 June 2021.   more   European Public Prosecutor's Office - 11 Avenue John F. Kennedy, Luxembourg, 1855 Luxembourg more