Luxembourg – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) initiated 18 investigations in Slovenia last year over suspicions of misusing European funds, with estimated damages to the EU budget reaching 16 million euros, as noted in the EPPO’s annual report. Across the European Union, over 1,500 investigations into potential fund misuse have been launched, involving amounts exceeding 13 billion euros.
By the end of last year, Slovenia had 37 ongoing investigations, with an estimated total damage to the EU budget of 60.6 million euros. Among these, seven investigations were cross-border, and four cases had court proceedings in progress as of the end of 2024.
Slovenian courts, in proceedings initiated under the EPPO framework last year, ordered the freezing of assets totaling 34,500 euros.
In 2024, the EPPO launched 1,504 investigations in EU member states, estimating associated damages to the EU budget at 13.07 billion euros. By the end of the year, there were 2,666 ongoing investigations, 767 of which were cross-border, with total estimated damage to the European budget at 24.8 billion euros.
European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi remarked on the annual report, saying, “A few years ago, there was a widespread assumption that the EPPO would not have much to handle. It was established to address what many viewed as a ‘niche’ type of crime. However, after more than three years of operation and the uncovering of extensive criminal activities, it’s clear that the EPPO’s resources must be adjusted to meet this new reality.”
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