EU reimburses May subsidies to Agrofert firms in Czech Republic

The European Union confirmed that it has repaid all eligible subsidies recorded in the May 2023 report for the Czech State Agricultural Intervention Fund (SZIF), covering 63 companies belonging to the Agrofert holding. The total amount reimbursed is 204 million Czech crowns. The fund had initially allocated the money to Agrofert firms for direct support linked to cultivated land and livestock holding; after an independent analysis the EU validated the expenditures and transferred the corresponding sum from the EU budget to the Czech treasury.

The reimbursement follows a review of whether Prime Minister Andrej Babiš complied with EU conflict‑of‑interest rules after placing Agrofert assets in a trust. While the European Commission continues to assess that issue, it has already processed the financial repayment. Opposition parties have criticised the arrangement and called for a pause in further payouts pending the conflict‑of‑interest investigation. Agrofert is one of the largest private employers in the country, with roughly 17 000 employees in the Czech Republic, 2022 revenue of 212.2 billion crowns and a consolidated profit of 2.2 billion crowns.