Romania public procurement and fund misuse investigations

In late 2026, Romanian authorities and institutions identified significant risks and irregularities regarding the management of public funds.

In October, the National Integrity Agency (ANI) reported finding at least 107 integrity incidents within public procurement procedures conducted between June and September. Using the PREVENT 2.0 system, ANI flagged risks in procedures totaling an estimated 2.3 billion lei. These risks included potential conflicts of interest, such as decision-makers holding leadership roles in participating companies or bidding firms having family ties to contract awarders.

By November, investigations expanded to specific institutional disputes and allegations of misuse. At Sf. Spiridon Hospital in Iași, a 24.3 million lei tender for medical products faced legal challenges after a supplier accused a competitor of using unverified artificial intelligence information in its bid.

Concurrently, the Director General of the National Meteorological Administration, Elena Mateescu, addressed allegations involving the use of institutional budgets for luxury personal items. Reports indicated that hundreds of vouchers, totaling approximately 776,911 lei, were processed without proper legal procedures or leadership approval. A formal complaint has been filed, and an internal commission is working to recover the funds.