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.
Csaba Balint, a member of the Board of Directors of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), looks at how Romania’s economy has evolved over the last 160 years. This analysis shows that public perception does not always reflect the reality described by numbers and statistics. In recent years, the collective perception of economic conditions and […]
Russia recently denied being involved in elections in other countries, including those in Romania, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "The Russian side has not been involved in the electoral processes in Romania. In general, we do not have the habit of meddling in the elections of other countries, specifically those in Romania," Peskov said […]
Just days before the program announcement for the 27th edition of the George Enescu International Festival, which will take place in Bucharest from August 24 to September 21, 2025, the organizer, ARTEXIM, announced a special project - the George Enescu – Poema Română: Immersive Experience. The digital show will debut on Wednesday, December 4, at […]
President Klaus Iohannis awarded the National Order of the Star of Romania, in the rank of Grand Cross, to Kathleen Kavalec, the United States ambassador to Bucharest, on Friday, November 29. The decoration recognizes ambassador Kavalec’s exceptional contributions to strengthening the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the United States, the Presidential Administration
Romania's National Day will be marked by a host of events organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) through its branches worldwide and in partnership with various cultural institutions. ICR London invites the public on November 30, to the LSO St Luke's Hall, where a concert performed by Teodora Brody and the London Symphony Orchestra, […]
Moldovan president Maia Sandu published a video encouraging Romanian citizens to vote in the upcoming parliamentary (December 1) and presidential (December 8) elections and to not believe “those who tell you that closer ties with the Kremlin bring peace and prosperity.” Sandu pointed out in the video that the fate of Romania and that of […]
