Bulgarian vineyard owner indicted for €348,000 EU fund fraud attempt

The European Public Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment against a vineyard owner in Bulgaria for attempting to fraudulently obtain €348,231.64 in European Union funding.

The scheme involved a project submitted in November 2023 under the ‘Restructuring and Conversion of Vineyards’ intervention, which is funded by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund. The applicant sought funds for creating new vineyard plantations, restoring support structures, and building a drip irrigation system in the Yambol region.

According to the indictment, the individual falsely declared that necessary harvest declarations had been submitted for the years 2020, 2021, and 2022. However, investigations revealed that no wine grape production had been declared to the competent national authority for 2020. Because the scheme was detected before any funds were disbursed, no financial loss was incurred by the EU budget. If convicted, the accused faces up to six years in prison and a fine of up to €5,000.