Belgian authorities have detained former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, along with senior European Commission official Stefano Sannino, as part of a widening inquiry into alleged misuse of EU funds during the creation of the EU Diplomatic Academy. The operation, overseen by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), has drawn renewed attention to governance standards inside the EU institutions and the role of the College of Europe in Bruges.
Investigators carried out coordinated searches at the headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, multiple buildings in Bruges, and private residences linked to the suspects. Officers from the Belgian federal police and the EU’s anti-fraud office, OLAF, seized documents as part of what officials described as a still-developing case. Sources close to the inquiry revealed that the three detained figures faced questioning on suspicion of procurement fraud, corruption, and conflicts of interest.
The probe centers on a public tender issued in 2021–22 for the establishment of a new diplomatic academy. Authorities are examining whether representatives of the College of Europe had advance knowledge of the tender’s requirements, which could have given the institution an advantage over competing universities. According to people familiar with the investigation, scrutiny has also turned to the college’s 2022 purchase of a property on Spanjaardstraat, acquired during a period of financial strain and later used to house academy participants.
At the time, Mogherini was serving as rector of the college, a position she has held for five years. Sannino, who had formerly worked under her in the Italian foreign ministry, was secretary-general of the EEAS during the period under review. Investigators are assessing whether their respective roles could have influenced the outcome of the tender, which eventually resulted in the College of Europe winning the contract and receiving subsequent EU funding.
OLAF has reportedly interviewed several individuals and transmitted its findings to EPPO, which has not yet announced formal charges.
Officials from the EEAS, the College of Europe, and those close to the detained individuals declined to comment. EPPO emphasized the ongoing nature of the investigation and the absence of any conclusions.
