Three people have been indicted in Romania over an alleged €3.5 million fraud involving EU funding applications for 237 agricultural projects.
The indictment was filed at the Bucharest Tribunal by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) office in Bucharest, the EPPO informed.
Investigators said the case centres on applications for non-repayable funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), an EU programme that supports rural projects including help for young farmers and small farms.
Evidence gathered indicated that a consultant, described as the main defendant, submitted false and inaccurate documents across 237 projects to Romania’s Agency for Rural Investment Financing (AFIR) on behalf of companies and family businesses.
The total funding requested through the applications identified as fraudulent so far was about €5.7 million.
Of the 237 projects, 170 received funding, leading to an estimated €3.5 million in damage to the EU budget.
Arrest, judicial control and plea agreements
The defendants include the consultant — who was arrested in May 2026 — and two other people placed under judicial control, according to EPPO.
If convicted, they could face prison sentences of up to 10 years.
A further 30 people have admitted offences and asked to conclude plea agreements, with legal procedures under way.
Dozens of others have also been investigated on suspicion of agreeing, in exchange for commissions of between 10% and 15% of a project’s total value, to have fraudulent applications submitted in their names.
The investigation was carried out by EPPO in Bucharest alongside officers from Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate, with support from county and Bucharest police units.
All those concerned are presumed innocent until proven guilty in Romanian courts, EPPO noted.
