European Public Prosecutor seizes €20 million in Italy over alleged PNRR fraud

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Milan has launched a coordinated investigation into a suspected fraud scheme involving the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). investigators identified 84 legal representatives of Italian companies that allegedly filed false training projects to obtain roughly €40 million in public funds, of which about €33 million came from the EU Recovery and Resilience Fund. The probe uncovered fictitious courses, money‑laundering activities and the purchase of real‑estate assets. Assets worth about €20 million – bank accounts, insurance policies and other holdings linked to five firms – were seized, and two suspects are already under precautionary measures. The investigation is being carried out jointly by the EPPO, the Carabinieri’s Labour Protection Unit and other law‑enforcement bodies, and it remains open to further developments and additional entities being implicated.