Former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and two others have been formally accused of procurement fraud and corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy.
The three individuals were detained on Tuesday as part of an EU fraud investigation and have now been released while the investigation is ongoing, the European Public Prosecutor's Office said on Wednesday.
It added that they were not considered a flight risk.
EPPO referred to the other two suspects as a senior staff member at the College of Europe in Bruges and a senior official from the European Commission.
Three sources told Reuters that one of the detainees was senior EU diplomat Stefano Sannino.
Neither Mogherini nor Sannino could be reached for comment.
"All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the competent Belgian courts of law," EPPO also said.
The investigation focuses on allegations of favouritism in awarding a training programme for future EU diplomats.
The iniative, run by the European External Action Service (EEAS), was assigned to the College of Europe, an elite institution that has trained Europe’s civil service since 1949.
Belgian police carried out searches at both the EEAS offices in Brussels and the College of Europe campus in Bruges as part of the inquiry.
Mogherini, who led the EU’s diplomatic service from 2014 to 2019, currently serves as rector of the College of Europe. Sannino, formerly EEAS secretary general, now holds the role of director general for the Commission’s Middle East, North Africa, and Gulf department.
Both the EEAS and the College of Europe have pledged full cooperation with authorities, reaffirming their commitment to transparency and integrity.
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