Lithuania halts EU agricultural funding over alleged fake training schemes

The Lithuanian Ministry of Agriculture has suspended EU funding payments and launched an investigation after reports that training courses for farmers—funded by European Union subsidies—were declared but never actually held, national broadcaster LRT reports.

The move follows an investigation by news portal 15min, which revealed that an institution linked to Vigilijus Jukna, chancellor of Vytautas Magnus University’s Agriculture Academy, had received EU funds for farmer training sessions that allegedly took place without participants. Agriculture Minister Andrius Palionis confirmed on Tuesday that all payments to the implicated institutions have been frozen pending the outcome of the probe.

“Today I signed an order to establish a commission that will immediately begin a comprehensive investigation,” Palionis said in a statement. “Until all circumstances are clarified, any disbursement of support funds to these institutions is suspended.”

The minister warned that if deliberate violations or document forgery are uncovered, the case will be referred to law enforcement and the Financial Crime Investigation Service. Institutions found guilty of falsifying training records will be required to repay the funds and will be barred from future EU financing.

According to the ministry, EU subsidies for agricultural training must be used strictly for their intended purpose. “We cannot allow isolated cases of unscrupulous business interests to cast doubt on the entire agricultural support system and the honest work of scientific and educational institutions,” Palionis stated. He noted that rules have already been tightened this year: training providers are now obligated to photograph participants and record sessions to enable monitoring and verification.

The 15min investigation found that Jukna’s institution, Mokslinės paslaugos (Scientific Services), is currently implementing two large EU-funded projects across 51 municipalities. One project, focused on sustainable livestock farming and animal welfare, was supposed to deliver 77 training sessions and 1,155 certifications to farmers. The second, covering sustainable livestock and crop protection, promised 130 training sessions and 1,980 certifications. A total of €298,935 was allocated for these courses. Despite regulations requiring at least 12 participants per session, 15min reported that none were present at 13 checked training events over several months.

Jukna, who also served as a public advisor to Prime Minister Ingrida Ruginienė, was dismissed from that role on Tuesday. The ministry has pledged to provide further updates once the commission presents its preliminary findings.