EU anti-fraud office probes Romanian farm grant scheme as Kovesi nears EPPO term end

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office, together with Romanian judicial police, has opened an investigation into possible fraud involving EU rural-development funds intended for small farms and young farmers. Authorities allege that a consultant submitted falsified paperwork for 237 projects, requesting €5.7 million, and that 170 of those projects actually received EU money. The case led to the arrest of the principal consultant in May 2026, the prosecution of two additional individuals, and two more placed under judicial supervision.

About 30 suspects have admitted wrongdoing and are negotiating plea agreements, while dozens of others remain under investigation. If convicted, the accused face up to ten years in prison. The investigation is being conducted by EPPO, the National Anticorruption Directorate’s support unit, Dâmbovița County Police and Bucharest’s Economic Crime Investigation Brigade.