Belgian cops raid EU foreign service in fraud probe

Authorities detained three suspects and raided the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the College of Europe as part of a probe into suspected fraud related to EU-funded training for junior diplomats.

The searches — conducted at the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and approved by the investigating judge and Belgium’s Federal Police — were conducted at the EEAS in Brussels, in buildings of the College of Europe in Bruges and at private homes, according to a statement from the EPPO.

Belgian authorities are investigating the European Union Diplomatic Academy, a training program for junior diplomats across EU countries. The raids were first reported by Euractiv.

The EPPO said it has “strong suspicions” that rules around “fair competition” were breached when “confidential information related to the ongoing procurement was shared with one of the candidates participating in the tender.”

This article is being updated.