EPPO is taking a vineyard owner from Bulgaria to court for an attempted fraud of 348,000 euros

European prosecutors claim that a vineyard owner from the Yambol region used false information in a request for 348,231.64 euros from EU agricultural funds, intended for planting new vines, restoring support structures, and installing a drip irrigation system. The payment was stopped before the money could be transferred.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has brought to trial in Bulgaria a vineyard owner suspected of attempting to obtain 348,231.64 euros from European agricultural funds using false information. The request concerned investments in a vineyard plantation in the Yambol region, but the authorities identified the irregularities before the funding could be paid, thus the EU budget did not suffer a loss.

In short

EPPO from Sofia has filed charges against a vineyard owner who allegedly attempted to obtain 348,231.64 euros from European funds based on false information.

The request was submitted in November 2023 for planting new vines, reconstructing support structures, and installing a drip irrigation system in the Yambol region.

Prosecutors claim that the applicant stated that they had submitted harvest declarations for the wine years 2020, 2021, and 2022, but checks showed that for 2020 the declaration regarding grape production for winemaking had not been submitted.

The funding was not paid because the alleged attempt at fraud was identified before the money was transferred.

If found guilty, the defendant risks up to six years in prison and a fine of up to 5,000 euros. He benefits from the presumption of innocence until a final ruling is pronounced.

The case concerns a funding request submitted in November 2023 through an intervention aimed at restructuring and converting vineyards, funded by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund. The applicant sought to obtain 348,231.64 euros for the modernization of a vineyard operation in the Yambol region, in southeastern Bulgaria.

The project for which funding was requested included planting new vines, restoring support structures used in planting, and installing a drip irrigation system. EPPO does not contest the nature of these investments as published information, but the data used to demonstrate the applicant's eligibility.

According to prosecutors, the owner stated that harvest declarations for the years 2020, 2021, and 2022 had been submitted for the operation. This information was included in the request for obtaining European funding.

The investigation found, however, that for the wine year 2020, the declaration regarding grape production intended for winemaking had not been submitted to the competent national authority. EPPO claims that the contrary information provided in the funding request was false and was used in an attempt to obtain over 348,000 euros.

The public information does not specify whether the declarations for 2021 and 2022 were contested and does not indicate other alleged irregularities in the funding file. The accusation described by EPPO focuses on the declaration for the year 2020 and its use in the process of requesting European funds.

The attempt did not result in a loss for the Union's budget. EPPO states that the alleged fraud was detected early enough for the funding not to be transferred to the applicant.

The 348,231.64 euros thus represent the amount that prosecutors claim the owner attempted to obtain, not a damage already paid and subsequently recovered. This distinction is relevant for the status of the case, as it concerns an attempt to fraudulently obtain a subsidy, and the money remained in the European budget.

The funding involved came from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund, one of the instruments through which the EU finances the Common Agricultural Policy. The intervention for the restructuring and conversion of vineyards can support investments through which vineyard operations change their plantations or infrastructure to adapt their production.

In the Yambol case, eligibility for funding and the information provided to demonstrate it are what have come under investigation. EPPO has not published the name of the owner or any other information that would allow the identification of the operation.

The referral to trial means that the case moves from the investigation phase to the competent Bulgarian courts. The charges brought by prosecutors must now be proven in court, and the EPPO communication does not represent a definitive finding of guilt.

If the court finds him guilty, the suspect may receive a sentence of up to six years in prison and a fine of up to 5,000 euros, according to information provided by EPPO. The indicated limits represent the possible sanctions applicable to the charge, not the penalty that will be automatically pronounced.

The owner benefits from the presumption of innocence until his guilt is established by the competent Bulgarian courts. EPPO does not specify in the published communication the date of the next stage of the process.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office investigates and prosecutes crimes that affect the financial interests of the Union, including fraud regarding subsidies and programs financed from the EU budget. The case in Bulgaria concerns agricultural funding and has been handled by the EPPO office in Sofia.

The case does not involve a payment made from the European budget. According to prosecutors, the verification took place before the transfer of 348,231.64 euros, which prevented financial damage from occurring.

The indictment does not establish the guilt of the vineyard owner. The Bulgarian courts must examine the evidence and charges, and the targeted person remains presumed innocent until a final ruling is pronounced.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/eppo-trimite-in-judecata-un-proprietar-de-podgorie-din-bulgaria-pentru-o-tentativa-de-frauda-de-348000-de-euro