The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Timisoara (Romania) has accused seven individuals and two companies of subsidy fraud and forgery, involving three projects regarding the development of fruit harvesting and processing, with a value of over €1.4 million. According to the investigation, between February 2019 and June 2024, the suspects, including a mayor, successfully applied in the name of two companies for three projects financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). They allegedly falsified documents regarding the information of the beneficiary of the projects and the employees of the companies to proof their eligibility to apply for the projects. In the early stages of the investigation, a lawyer, who is also a suspect in this investigation, encouraged certain witnesses to provide false statements, helping the main suspects and obstructing the investigation. The European Delegated Prosecutor in charge of the investigation ordered the detention of the seven suspects and he will request their pre-trial detention. EPPO has seized buildings, lands and money belonging to the suspects. The investigation and searches counted on the support of the EPPO Support Structure in Romania: Timisoara and Iasi EPPO Offices (Structura de sprijin a procurorilor europeni delegati în Romania – Birourile Teritoriale Timisoara si Iasi), Timis County Police Inspectorate – Economic Crime Investigation Service (Inspectoratul de Politie Judetean Timis – Serviciul de investigare a criminalit?tii economice), Special Operations Brigade Timisoara (Brigada de Operatiuni Speciale Timis), Organised Crime Brigade Timisoara (Brigada de combatere a criminalit?tii organizate Timisoara) and the Mobile Group of Gendarmes Timisoara (Gruparea mobile de jandarmi Timisoara). 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. (Source:https://www.eppo.europa.eu/)
Participation in cultural education activities continues to be limited, with the main barriers being difficult access, insufficient knowledge, and cost, the recently released Cultural Consumption Barometer 2024 shows. The report showed that many Romanians still associate culture with entertainment rather than with personal development or furthering their knowledge. The need for relaxation dominates in cultural […]
Roughly 84% of Romanians say that the pace of the state’s digitalization is slow or very slow, according to an Edge Institute & AtlasIntel study presented at the Digital Governance Summit 2025, which took place on Tuesday, November 25, at the presidential palace in Bucharest. The survey aims to capture the way citizens relate to […]
Romania’s Superior Council of Magistracy (CSM) issued a negative opinion on the new bill regarding magistrates’ pensions. The move is only the latest development concerning a heated issue that led to tensions between the executive and the judiciary branch. CSM’s opinion is consultative, and the government led by Ilie Bolojan can still take responsibility for […]
Romania took the presidency of the Central European Initiative (or CEI) on Wednesday, November 26, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE). The organization is a regional intergovernmental forum established in 1989, following the fall of the Berlin Wall. It gathers 17 Member States in Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe […]
Trade between Romania and Poland continues to grow, with annual bilateral exchanges in goods now valued at more than EUR 12 billion, according to figures presented by the Polish-Romanian Bilateral Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PRBCC). The data was released during a reception in Bucharest marking Poland’s Independence Day and Romania’s National Day. Polish investments […]
As Romania moves closer to implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive, local employers are preparing for one of the most consequential shifts in workplace regulation in over a decade. The directive, set for transposition by June 2026, introduces strict new rules on salary disclosure, pay reporting, and equal-pay verification, aiming to close persistent gender gaps […]
