Most of this amount is linked to fraud involving the misuse of European funds, according to the EPPO’s 2025 annual report.
Romania is among the leaders in EPPO investigations
According to data from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, as of December 31, 2025, there were 535 active cases under investigation in Romania. The estimated loss from these cases is €6.05 billion. Of this amount, approximately €5.03 billion relates to fraud involving the misuse of EU funds and other European funding programs.
In terms of the number of investigations, the largest group consists of cases related to the misuse of European funds. In this category, the EPPO conducted 499 investigations. In addition, the EPPO investigated 28 cases of VAT and customs duty fraud, where the estimated loss is €271.5 million.
In 2025, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office received 416 reports of possible violations in Romania. Most of these came from national authorities, while another 51 reports were submitted by private individuals. Following an assessment of the information, 303 new investigations were opened.
Cases Reached the Courts
According to the report, 76 cases were in the judicial phase by the end of the year. In 2025, courts issued 18 final judgments in EPPO cases in Romania, all of which resulted in convictions. A total of 20 people were convicted; no acquittals were recorded in the statistics for the reporting period.
To operate in Romania, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office utilizes a network of European Delegated Prosecutors. Twenty such prosecutors work in the country on a permanent basis, assisted by national staff and specialized investigators.
What the EPPO report shows
Across the European Union, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office had investigated 3,602 cases by the end of 2025, involving an estimated loss of over 67 billion euros. More than two-thirds of this amount is related to cross-border fraud involving VAT and customs duties.
Statistics for Romania show that the main risk to the European budget remains not tax schemes, but the spending of European funds and support programs. For Brussels, this remains one of the key areas of oversight regarding the use of EU funds in member states.
