The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Timisoara (Romania) arrested three suspects yesterday, including two public officials, in an investigation into a criminal scheme that obtained €2.2 million in EU funds for pastures, https://www.eppo.europa.eu/ informs. One of the individuals detained is a sheep breeder who owns a large estate in Romania. According to the investigation, he set up a criminal scheme to obtain EU subsidies for pastures that were ineligible for funds, using public officials from Romania’s paying agency to facilitate the process. Based on the evidence, between 2018 and 2023, the sheep breeder used employees to identify pastures which he did not own and to lease them in the name of his parents and of a commercial company controlled by him, in order to fraudulently obtain EU funds. It is understood that public officials from Romania’s Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (APIA) – Hunedoara County Centre colluded in the scheme. According to the investigation, the sheep breeder submitted requests for subsidies regarding land that he did not own, or requested support to larger areas than the ones submitted. In addition, he is alleged to have submitted requests for forested areas that are not eligible for support, by enlisting the help of public officials from the APIA. In this manner, the suspect obtained approximately €2.2 million (RON 11 211 935.22) in agricultural EU funds. An additional request for approximately €1.6 million (RON 8 293 626 ) was submitted to the APIA, but the funds were not disbursed, thanks to the timely investigation of the EPPO. The European Delegated Prosecutor in charge of the investigation ordered the detention of the three suspects for 24 hours, and he will request their preventive arrest. In addition, eight more individuals were charged, including another five public officials. In order to compensate the damage to the EU budget, a freezing order was issued. The investigative measures counted on the support of the Anticorruption General Directorate - County Anticorruption Service Timis (Directia Generala Anticoruptie – Serviciul Judetean Anticoruptie Timis) and the Arad County Police Inspectorate - Economic Crimes Investigation Service (Inspectoratul de Politie Judetean Arad – Serviciul de Investigare a Criminalitatii Economice). The investigation is ongoing, in order to ascertain the extent of the suspected criminal activities. All persons involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the competent Romanian courts of law.
Romanian deep-tech startup .lumen, the developer of what it says are the world’s first AI-powered glasses for the blind, has secured a new investment from EIT Urban Mobility, the European innovation community focused on advancing sustainable and inclusive urban mobility solutions. The value of the new funding round was not disclosed. The investment aligns with […]
The health spending per capita in Romania was the lowest in the EU, with spending less than half the EU average in 2023, the recently released report, State of Health in the EU - Romania Country Health Profile 2025, shows. At the same time, life expectancy in Romania is 5.1 years below the EU average, […]
Romania’s annual inflation rate stood at roughly 9.8% in November 2025, similar to October, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Food prices increased by 7.6% last month, while services rose roughly 11% and non-food goods climbed 10.7%. The consumer price index rose by 0.42% in November compared with October, while […]
Three French soldiers deployed in Romania as part of NATO’s Multinational Battle Group at Cincu intervened to save a truck driver following a serious traffic accident on the A3 Bucharest–Ploiești motorway, the Romanian Ministry of Defense said. The incident occurred earlier this week as the soldiers were traveling toward Ploiești and witnessed the truck crash...
Eight contemporary art galleries will present the works of the artists they represent at the third edition of the Smallest Art Fair in Town, an event dedicated to works on paper. This edition showcases works “investigating the state of wandering, disorientation, and rediscovery in the face of uncertainty.” Under the title In Dark Woods, A […]
Parents everywhere are asking an important question: What skills will truly prepare a child for a world defined by rapid change, global uncertainty, and the rise of artificial intelligence? For decades, schools focused entirely on academics. Today, research from neuroscience, performance psychology, and leading universities shows a different reality: The students who thrive long-term are […]
