Italian mafia-type criminal organizations have consistently invested in the agro-industrial markets and illegally exploited funds of the European Union (EU), ANSA news agency highlighted in an investigative report released on Wednesday.

Following a decrease of business in the real estate, one of sectors traditionally favored by mafias, over the last years the syndicates have turned to food production worth as much as 14 billion euros annually, ANSA said.

Police reportedly found that 70 percent - or around 28 million euros - of funds obtained from the EU and other institutions in a year had been illegally requested for "ghost projects, forged production figures, and false ownerships of titles and lands."

Investigators said criminal organizations were "parceling" the funding requests, in order to avoid anti-mafia inspection, by asking sums below 150,000 euros each. Around 900 indicted people including mafia suspects and local entrepreneurs were currently waiting for trial, they said.

Thousands of tons of counterfeit "made in Italy" products, from fruits and vegetables to pork meat often imported from other European countries in unsanitary conditions, have been seized by Italian police in recent months, according to the report.

The lack of clear rules was at the root of widespread illegality in the agro-industrial markets, the head of Italy's largest farm association Coldiretti, Roberto Moncalvo, was quoted as saying by ANSA.

"There is little clarity in the EU rules. Labels of origin should be indicated, because today it is not possible for consumers to know the real source of most of the products," he pointed out.

Giancarlo Caselli, a renowned anti-mafia magistrate, said there were concerns in Italy that mafias could "infiltrate" the food-themed world exposition that will run in business capital Milan from May 1 to Oct 31 next year.

The Italian agriculture and economic development ministries have launched a plan to watch over the six-month event and prevent mafias from trying their hands at what is considered an important opportunity to stimulate the recession-hit economy, he said. (1 euro = 1.34 U.S. dollars) Endi

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