Belgian police have conducted searches at multiple European Commission buildings in Brussels.
The raids today are part of an investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding the sale of European Union-owned real estate assets.
The operation, carried out at the request of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), focuses on a major transaction completed in 2024. That involved 23 properties sold to Belgium’s sovereign wealth fund, the Société Fédérale de Participations et d’Investissement (SFPIM), for almost €1 billion.
According to reports from the Financial Times and other sources today, the probe centres on potential misconduct during the period when Johannes Hahn, the Austrian politician who served as Commissioner for Budget and Administration in the previous EC mandate (2019–2024), oversaw relevant procedures.
Hahn is now the EC’s special envoy for the “Cyprus problem”. He was appointed to contribute to the settlement process for the reunification of Cyprus, working in close co-operation with the United Nations Secretary-General’s personal envoy María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar.
The raids targeted various EC premises including offices linked to the budget department, where records related to the property disposals are believed to be held.
Belgian authorities executed the searches this morning, gathering evidence as part of the EPPO-led effort to examine whether rules on transparency, fair competition or proper valuation were breached in the divestment of these assets.
The properties in question were part of the EU’s extensive real estate portfolio in Brussels and surrounding areas, which the EC has been rationalising in recent years to optimise costs amid budgetary pressures.
The EC confirmed awareness of the investigation and emphasised co-operation with authorities while declining to comment further on specifics.
A spokesperson noted that the matter relates to activities under the prior EC mandate and that the institution is providing full assistance.
No arrests were reported in connection with today’s raids, unlike some previous high-profile EPPO actions in Brussels.
“The EPPO can confirm that it is conducting evidence-collecting activities in an ongoing investigation,” EPPO spokesperson Tine Hollevoet told the FT.
The Belgian Public Prosecutor never comments on ongoing investigations and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), told Brussels Signal that it is “not in a position to provide details on cases which we may or may not be treating”.
“This is to protect the confidentiality of any possible investigations and of possible ensuing judicial proceedings, as well to ensure respect for personal data and procedural rights,” OLAF said.
The investigation is at an early stage, with no indication yet of the scale of any alleged wrongdoing or whether it will lead to formal indictments.
Three senior European Union figures have been officially charged for alleged fraud involving EU funds. https://t.co/dWQPcTP151
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) December 3, 2025
For the EU, already navigating political sensitivities around transparency and accountability, the raids represent an unwelcome spotlight again as it comes amid heightened scrutiny of EU institutions’ financial dealings. That followed a series of corruption and fraud probes.
In recent years, the EU has been hit with Qatargate, Huaweigate, Pfizergate, alleged corruption with the College of Europe, as well as “dark” lobbying via NGOs.
Hahn is the second Commissioner from von der Leyen’s first term in the crosshairs of Belgian justice, with Didier Reynders, the ex-Commissioner for Justice, suspected of laundering money. He denies the charges.
A coalition of MEPs has secured the 180 signatures required to trigger a vote on the creation of a new committee to investigate corruption and accountability within the EU’s institutions. https://t.co/HzEyb3hvSv
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) May 8, 2025
