Metastable scheelite EuVO4 was stabilized by a high temperature and pressure method, which was transformed into a stable zircon phase by annealing treatment in air. Scheelite EuVO4 gave strong emissions with a dominant peak at 617 nn associated with the (D0-F2)-D-5-F-7 transition of Eu3+. Eu-151 Mossbauer spectra indicated that the isomer shift for the metastable scheelite phase was ca. 0.5 mm/s lower than that for the zircon phase, which was ascribed to a reduced covalency in the Eu-O bond originated via a charge transfer from oxygen to Eu3+ in scheelite lattice by producing an enhanced shielding of 4f electrons on the s orbital as well as a decrease in s electron density around Eu3+ nucleus. Impedance spectra for the zircon phase clearly demonstrated an ionic hoping in the bulk with a conductivity of ca. 1.0 x 10(-3) S cm(-1) at 500 degreesC. EuVO4 is proved to be both a potential phosphor and a potential ionic conductor.