European Public Prosecutor's Office,EPPO, update

 

22/06/2026   European Public Prosecutor's Office News

Bulgaria: EPPO indicts EU project consultant for fraud involving funds for dental care (Luxembourg, 22 June 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Sofia (Bulgaria) filed an indictment today at the Sofia City Court against an EU project consultant suspected of fraud involving a project for dental care. The consultant was contacted by a doctor who sought to establish a dental practice in a small town in Bulgaria's Burgas region, with the aim of improving access to healthcare services for the local population. The doctor engaged the consultant to prepare an application to obtain EU financial support for the project, including the purchase of medical equipment. The doctor also provided the consultant with contact details of a medical equipment supplier, who subsequently submitted a competitive offer. The funding application required the submission of three offers. According to the investigation, the consultant prepared the application using one falsified offer, without the doctor's knowledge. Unaware that false information had been included in the documentation, the doctor submitted the project proposal to the competent authorities. The project required €97 000 (BGN 189 991.20) in funding, of which 90% was financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and 10% by national co-financing. No EU funds were disbursed, as the Bulgarian paying agency for EU agricultural funds found that one of the offers submitted in support of the application was falsified. If found guilty, the defendant could face imprisonment for a term of one to six years and a fine of between €1 000 (BGN 2 000) and €5 000 (BGN 10 000). All persons concerned are presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in the competent Bulgarian 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.   more   European Public Prosecutor's Office - 11 Avenue John F. Kennedy, Luxembourg, 1855 Luxembourg Follow us

Press release

Czechia: Three indicted over €4.1 million fraud involving project for innovative toast bread (Luxembourg, 22 June 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Prague (Czechia) filed an indictment today with the Regional Court in Prague against two individuals and a company for a €4.1 million subsidy fraud, following an investigation into a project involving an innovative production line for new types of toast bread. The defendants are accused of submitting false data and concealing substantial information, in order to obtain €4.1 million (CZK 100 million) in EU funds from Czechia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, under the Programme Enterprise and Innovation for Competitiveness. Based on the evidence, the suspects deliberately mislead the Ministry of Industry and Trade, which paid the subsidy in full from the national budget. Subsequently, following an audit by the European Commission, the grant was not refunded by the EU, as the project was deemed ineligible for reimbursement, resulting in a total loss of €4.1 million (CZK 100 000 000) to Czechia’s national budget. If found guilty, the two individuals could face between five and ten years in prison. Under the indictment, they may also face fines up to €20 000 (CZK 500 000) and €41 000 (CZK 1 million) and be banned from receiving subsidies for five years. If convicted, the company could be ordered to pay compensation of approximately €4.1 million (CZK 100 million). It could also face a fine of up to €2 million (CZK 50 million) and a 15-year ban on receiving subsidies. Earlier in this investigation, the EPPO seized assets, including real estate owned by the company, to compensate the damage.   more