The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) opened an investigation in Spain on 6 November into possible fraud involving EU funds in connection with work on the high-speed line Madrid–Seville The EPPO says it is examining contracts, project files and accounts relating to the renewal and improvement of safety, signalling and communications systems. The investigation was opened on the EPPO’s own initiative.
The EPPO is relying on the Unidad Central Operativa of the Guardia Civilto carry out the measures. Investigators requested documents at the offices of the infrastructure manager Adif, the Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Ferroviaria and from the Tribunal de Cuentas in the morning. According to the authorities, the document-gathering is linked to the serious train crash of 28 October near Urda in the province of Toledo. The EPPO has so far made no specific allegations concerning individual contracts or companies.
Spanish public-service broadcasters and news agencies report consistently that the matter concerns tenders, funding agreements and records relating to maintenance and modernisation work on safety-critical systems. The information requests stem from a possible connection between parts of the technical equipment on the section under investigation and the circumstances of the accident. No official cause of the accident has yet been established; Spanish technical authorities are conducting parallel technical investigations and forensic analyses.
According to the institutions involved, the Spanish authorities are cooperating with the EPPO. The Tribunal de Cuentas confirmed to the media that Guardia Civil officers had attended as part of a request for information. Politicians called for a full investigation, while government representatives stressed that the investigation must proceed without prejudging the outcome. It is too early to draw conclusions about responsibility or criminal consequences, they said.
The EPPO investigation concerns only the handling of European funds and whether procurement procedures, contract accounts or the execution of publicly funded work complied with the law. It does not replace the national investigations into the technical and operational causes of the accident. Reliable findings are expected only after the requested documents have been analysed and any further steps – such as gathering additional evidence – have been taken. The EPPO said it had not yet decided on any further measures, including possible court orders.
The European investigative authority has launched its review in response to a recent event, without pre-empting the conclusion of other ongoing proceedings. At first, there were no indications that the measures taken today had disrupted railway operations.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).