European Public Prosecutors are actively investigating potential fraud in connection with the spending of EU funds in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These are serious suspicions that include irregularities in the financing of infrastructure projects, possible abuse of tax and customs benefits, and even money laundering.
Although the details of the case are not yet known to the public, it has been confirmed that the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina is also involved in the investigation, which cooperates on the basis of an interstate agreement signed in 2023. This agreement allows for the formation of joint investigation teams in the fight against cross-border crime and the misuse of European funds.
According to available information, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, known as the EPPO, is already working on several specific cases in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but the prosecutor’s office does not want to release names or details due to the investigation phase. This is standard practice in other European Union member states, where similar cases are not commented on publicly until specific indictments are issued. Nevertheless, the confirmation that something is really being investigated is already attracting attention, especially due to the fact that it is European funds intended for development, and not for private pockets.
Denis Džidić from BIRN BiH points out that this kind of investigation does not surprise anyone who knows the situation in the country. BiH has been dealing with high levels of corruption for years, and numerous media and research portals have published dubious details in the past, especially when it comes to large projects such as the construction of highways. These cases, as we unofficially learn, could be part of the current investigation.
The fact that European public prosecutors in Bosnia and Herzegovina have very broad powers gives additional weight to the whole process. As Damjan Ožegović from Transparency International explains, European prosecutors can act completely independently in the country, which many from the domestic government structures do not agree with, because, as he states, the domestic judiciary still functions under strong political influence. This independence of European prosecutors allows investigations to be conducted without interference and political pressure.
The real scale of possible abuses is best shown by the fact that at the end of 2024, 2,666 investigations were active throughout the European Union, with an estimated damage to the European budget of almost 25 billion euros. In this context, the investigations in Bosnia and Herzegovina are only a small part of a larger problem, but with great importance – not only for the return of money, but also for the future credibility of the country in the eyes of European partners.
