The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) recently announced the arrest of 15 individuals accused of defrauding over €3.5 million from Austria’s Repair Bonus program, which is funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Fund (RRF).
The suspects, linked to multiple criminal groups, are said to have exploited the program by registering both real and fictitious companies as partners.
The Repair Bonus, introduced by the Austrian government, aims to reduce electronic waste and promote local repair businesses by offering subsidies for the repair of household electronics. According to the EPPO, the suspects submitted false claims for repairs that never happened, after being falsely confirmed as legitimate repair businesses. They allegedly filed thousands of reimbursement requests, fraudulently securing funds for non-existent services.
This is not the first time the RRF has come under fire for potential fraud. Earlier, on October 21, the European Court of Auditors raised concerns about “double funding” risks within the RRF, citing weak oversight and monitoring. Similarly, the EPPO’s annual report from October 10 warned that an increasing amount of the €240 billion EU budget was being spent irregularly, adding to concerns over financial accountability.
