Four people have been indicted in Romania over alleged fraud involving EU-backed funding for young farmers.
Prosecutors in Cluj-Napoca filed the indictment at Cluj Court against four individuals suspected of using false documents to obtain money from a scheme co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), an EU fund that supports rural development projects, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) informed on Friday.
The defendants are accused of submitting false and inaccurate paperwork to Romania’s Agency for Financing Rural Investments (AFIR), the body that manages EU rural investment funds in the country.
They allegedly tried to obtain €115,000 (RON 575,000) and received €45,000 (RON 225,000).
Alleged false certificates and seized property
Two other people were suspected of helping by providing consultancy services linked to applications for EU funding.
Those two allegedly issued false professional qualification certificates stating the beneficiaries had attended training as “qualified workers in animal breeding” — a requirement for the funding — according to the EPPO.
Both signed plea agreements seeking simplified prosecution procedures, and the agreements were submitted to the Cluj Court in March 2026.
If convicted, the four main defendants could face prison sentences of up to seven years.
Prosecutors previously seized a house and several plots of land worth about €170,000 (RON 868,171) to compensate for the estimated damage to the EU budget.
All those involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty in Romanian courts.
