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.
Cambridge School of Bucharest (CSB) has been shortlisted for the Student Mental Health Initiative of the Year category in the Tes Awards for International Schools 2025, becoming the only school in Romania to appear on this year’s shortlist. The nomination recognises CSB’s pioneering, student-led approach to promoting well-being across the Secondary School and reflects the […]
The Romanian Film Festival UK (RFF25UK) begins this week with a program showcasing a selection of new and archive Romanian feature films, documentaries, and shorts. The festival will open with the UK premiere of Traffic, Romania's 2026 Academy Awards entry. The film is directed by Teodora Ana Mihai from a screenplay by Palme d'Or–winning filmmaker […]
The government is preparing a major overhaul of state-owned companies, deputy prime minister Oana Gheorghiu announced on Monday, November 24, unveiling plans for a unified registry and initial reforms targeting 10 key enterprises. According to her, Romania currently has 1,502 state-owned companies, including 230 at central level and 1,272 under local authorities. Among central entities, […]
Two Romanians reportedly forced open an emergency exit and ran after the plane that was preparing to take off for Bucharest from Cologne, southwestern Germany, on Friday, November 21. The two, aged 28 and 47, were late for boarding, at which point they broke an emergency window and activated a button to open a secured […]
NOËL, the longest-running designer gift fair in Romania, will hold its 16th edition on December 13–14 at Unirea Shopping Center in Bucharest. The event will feature more than 100 designers presenting handmade and curated gifts, including unique pieces, capsule collections, and seasonal items. The fair will host creators from Romania as well as artists from […]
Romania will celebrate its National Day on December 1 with a large military parade in Bucharest featuring Romanian and allied troops. The event will also showcase an extensive display of military equipment and aircraft at the Arch of Triumph. More than 2,900 servicemembers and specialists from the Ministry of National Defense, Interior Ministry, Romanian Intelligence […]
