European Commission goes on the offensive in NGO accusations case

Published connected 07/06/2025 - 17:49 GMT+2•Updated 17:56

The European committee connected Saturday denied German media reports that it had signed ”secret contracts” pinch biology NGOs to beforehand nan bloc’s ambiance policy. 

”Contrary to media allegations, location are nary concealed contracts betwixt nan European Commission and NGOs,” a committee spokesperson told Euronews. ”The Commission exercises a precocious grade of transparency erstwhile it comes to providing backing to NGOs.

The commission’s denial comes aft German newspaper Welt Am Sonntag claimed that nan EU’s Executive limb had allegedly secretly paid biology NGOs up to €700,000 to beforehand nan bloc’s ambiance policy. 

The insubstantial said it sewage clasp of ”secret contracts” from 2022, which progressive well-known NGOs for illustration “ClientEarth,“ and ”Friends of nan Earth.” 

In nan Welt Am Sonntag claims, nan erstwhile allegedly “received €350,000 ”and was expected to “entangle German coal-fired powerfulness plants successful tribunal cases successful bid to summation nan operators' financial and ineligible risk,” nan insubstantial said. 

The insubstantial besides reported that EC officials commissioned nan second to conflict against nan Mercosur free waste and acquisition statement betwixt Europe and South America – ”even though colleagues successful their ain location were pushing it guardant astatine nan aforesaid time,” nan insubstantial reported.

In its connection to Euronews connected Saturday, nan European Commission underlined that “NGOs play a important domiciled successful shaping, monitoring, and enforcing legislation. NGOs besides stay afloat autonomous and free to found their ain views connected each argumentation matters.“

'Inappropriate' backing successful LIFE programme conceded successful January

The German study comes astatine a clip erstwhile nan rumor of NGO backing has go an highly divisive governmental rumor successful Brussels. The blimpish European People’s Party (EPP) has claimed that nan Commission instructed NGOs to lobby members of nan parliament to further circumstantial policies wrong nan Green Deal, a cardinal governmental schedule of president Ursula von der Leyen’s first word betwixt 2019 and 2024.

MEP Monika Hohlmeier (Germany/EPP), told Euronews backmost successful January that her concerns were raised erstwhile she examined immoderate 30 backing contracts from 2022 and 2023, arsenic portion of nan parliament’s yearly scrutiny of EU fund spending. 

In January, Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin conceded that immoderate financing from nan EU’s €5.4 cardinal biology programme LIFE whitethorn person been inappropriate. “I person to admit that it was inappropriate for immoderate services successful nan Commission to participate into agreements that oblige NGOs to lobby members of nan European Parliament specifically,” he said. But he besides defended nan domiciled of NGOs successful EU argumentation making. 

In April, nan European Court of Auditors (ECA) besides concluded pursuing a lengthy probe that nan Commission’s backing of NGOs was “opaque” and exposed nan executive to “reputational risk.” But nan tribunal did not find immoderate breach of EU values from NGOs.

'Further measures' planned to safeguard transparency

To flooded ambiguities, nan European Commission issued clear guidance past twelvemonth to streamline really it provides backing to NGOs.

On Saturday, nan committee spokesperson told Euronews that EU backing to NGOs was provided ”based connected assistance agreements, which are complemented by activity programmes whose mentation falls nether nan work of NGOs.” 

“As per nan guidance, nan Commission has instructed its services not to motion disconnected connected activity programmes if those incorporate overly circumstantial activities directed astatine EU institutions aliases their representatives,” nan EC connection added.

The institution will return ”further measures,“ nan spokesperson said, to fortify transparency and see due safeguards.

“We person been moving intimately pinch nan European Parliament and nan European Court of Auditors to amended this transparency moreover further. Information connected recipients of EU funding, including nan names of recipients and amounts, is publically disposable connected nan Commission´s Financial Transparency System website,” nan connection said.