Belgian police on Tuesday searched the EU diplomatic service in Brussels, as well as the postgraduate institution College of Europe in Bruges and private homes as part of an investigation into alleged misuse of EU funds, Euractiv reports, citing people familiar with the investigation and witnesses, UNN writes.

DetailsAs stated, searches took place across Belgium early in the morning, police seized documents and detained three people for questioning on suspicion of procurement fraud, corruption and criminal conflict of interest.

About 10 plainclothes officers entered the headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS) at 7:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, one eyewitness said. Another EU official from the EU diplomatic service confirmed the searches.

The criminal investigation began after allegations that the European External Action Service and the College of Europe – a prestigious postgraduate school for eurocrats – misused EU budget funds in 2021 and 2022, according to four sources familiar with the investigation.

These raids are another major scandal to hit EU institutions and will increase pressure on the College of Europe and its rector Federica Mogherini, who previously headed the EEAS and this year began her second five-year term in Bruges.

Mogherini, the former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, did not immediately respond to Euractiv’s questions.

The Belgian Federal Police and the EU Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) participated in the operation as part of a criminal investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

Investigators are checking whether the College of Europe or its representatives knew in advance about a public tender for funding a new EU Diplomatic Academy, an annual training program for European diplomats in Bruges, funded by the European External Action Service (EEAS).

Founded in 1949, the College of Europe is considered the EU’s top school for diplomats and civil servants, with alumni including leading politicians and officials of European institutions.

Investigators focused on the circumstances of the college’s acquisition of a building on Spanjaardstraat in Bruges for 3.2 million euros, where diplomats studying at the academy live, four people familiar with the investigation said.

The competition for hosting the academy required applicants to provide accommodation, the publication writes.

The College of Europe acquired the building in 2022 during a period of financial hardship, and shortly before the EEAS announced a tender that later provided the institution with 654,000 euros in funding, two people familiar with the investigation said.

Investigators reviewed allegations that the College of Europe and its representatives had access to confidential information about the tender that should have remained confidential to ensure fair competition among institutions bidding to host the new academy.

OLAF, which has the authority to deal with cases of suspected fraud involving EU funds, interviewed several people before submitting its findings to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

There is no indication that OLAF or EPPO have concluded that wrongdoing occurred, and no one has yet been formally charged.

During the period under scrutiny, the EEAS was headed by Josep Borrell.

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