The European Public Prosecutor's Office begins the investigation into the file of electric school minibuses bought at double the price with PNRR funds
The European Public Prosecutor's Office officially started the investigation regarding the purchase of electric school minibuses for students through PNRR, based on the notification made by the Minister of European Investments and Projects, Dragoş Pîslaru, in December 2025.
1,300 minibuses were bought through PNRR at 200,000 euros/piece/PHOTO: Costel Alexe – FB
“I received, from the European Public Prosecutor's Office, the official confirmation that the investigation has begun in the case of the purchase of electric school minibuses through PNRR, based on the notification I made.
I hope that the investigation will be carried out as quickly as possible and, if it is proven that the law was broken, that all the guilty parties will pay.” reported Dragoș Pîslaru on Facebook.
The Romanian state bought 1,300 electric minibuses with PNRR funds at overvalued prices, reaching around 200,000 euros per unit, twice more than the estimate of the European Commission. A single company from Prahova won more than half of the tenders.
PNRR-funded electric school minibuses were bought at prices two or even three times their actual value, with one firm awarding more than half of the contracts.
Behind this business is a complex network of political relations and restrictive procedures, which cost the Romanian state more than 135 million euros.
The European Union had estimated, in the PNRR Applicant's Guide, a total investment of 250 million euros for 3,200 electric minibuses, with an average price of 78,000 euros per unit.
In reality, our country bought only 1,300 vehicles, paying on average around 200,000 euros for each one, almost double the initial estimates, according to the reporterIS.ro investigation.
