Euractiv: Police conduct searches in Belgium over possible misuse of EU funds

In Belgium, police searched the European Union's diplomatic mission in Brussels, the College of Europe in Bruges, and private homes as part of an investigation into the possible misuse of EU funds. About reports Euractiv, citing unnamed sources.

The searches began in the morning. According to an eyewitness, about 10 plainclothes officers entered the headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS) at 07:30.

According to four people briefed on the investigation, allegations that the EEAS and the prestigious College of Europe, a postgraduate school for eurocrats, may have misused EU funds in 2021-2022 are being investigated. The investigation also looks into whether the institution or its representatives received information about the upcoming tender for funding for the new EU Diplomatic Academy before it was officially announced.

Investigators are separately looking into the purchase by the College of Europe of a €3.2 million building on Spanjaardstraat in Bruges, where the Academy's students live. The College acquired the building in 2022 during a period of financial difficulties, shortly before the official announcement of the tender, which resulted in €654,000 in funding.

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) interviewed a number of people and passed the materials to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), which is investigating. Law enforcement officers seized documents and detained three people for questioning on suspicion of procurement fraud, corruption, and criminal conflict of interest, but there is no information on charges being brought.

• on February 28, it became known that EU leaders accused the Belgian government of does not fully disclosethe government is also considering what it will do with tax revenues from frozen Russian assets.