The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) is investigating a sharp rise in suspected fraud linked to the EU's post-pandemic Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), with estimated damages reaching €5 billion, Follow The Money reports.

According to its latest annual report, the EPPO opened nearly 300 new RRF-related investigations in 2025, more than double the number launched the previous year. By the end of 2025, it had 512 active cases tied to the recovery fund, involving almost 2,000 suspects. RRF fraud now accounts for 21% of all active expenditure fraud investigations across EU programmes, up from 17%.

As reported by Follow The Money, an EPPO spokeswoman attributed the increase to the acceleration of spending as the fund approaches its conclusion, leading to "more fraudulent attempts".

Italy accounts for 331 of the active cases, reflecting its position as the largest RRF beneficiary. Since the fund's launch in 2021, Italy has received €153 billion out of €394 billion disbursed. 

Overall, the EPPO had 3,602 active cases by end-2025, with estimated damages of €67.3 billion, up significantly from the previous year.

Read Follow the Money's report here