Slovakia: EU's VAT Fraud "Central Hub," Says Top Prosecutor

The European Union's chief prosecutor says Slovakia is a "central hub" for a major type of tax crime. In a statement to Slovak lawmakers, the head of the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) revealed a startling statistic. One in every three EU cases of Value-Added Tax (VAT) fraud now has connections to Slovakia. VAT is a consumption tax applied across the bloc. Criminal groups exploit cross-border trade rules to illegally claim VAT refunds, stealing billions from EU budgets. The prosecutor's declaration highlights an intense concentration of this financial crime in the central European nation. This raises urgent questions for Slovak authorities and the EU. Experts are now examining why this fraud is so focused on Slovakia. A key question is whether this is a recent crisis or a long-standing problem that has only now been fully exposed.