Brussels must revise the “opaque” financing of NGOs, say the listeners – politico

“The image of EU financing for NGOs remains unclear, because information on the financing of the EU – including lobbying – is neither reliable nor transparent,” said Laima Andrikienė, member of the CEA in charge of the report, which is also a former legislator with the European Center for Center in Center -Docure (EPP).

Criticism will give ammunition to conservative legislators of the European Parliament who want to revise how EU money is subject to NGOs, affirming that it lacks transparency and is often used to put pressure on EU institutions – criticism echoing in the report.

The question of lobbying is suspended from the report. Do NGOs use public money to influence the development of EU policies? And if they are, is this done online with EU values? On these questions, the CEA noted that the European Commission lacked curiosity and transparency.

The Commission “has not clearly disclosed the information it has on advocacy activities of NGOs that have been funded by EU subsidies,” said ECA.

Despite the global critical tone, the report has found certain improvements since the last ECA assessment in 2018. He also noted that since the period verified in the report, the Commission had published advice to NGOs that EU financing should not be used for lobbying. But overall, the system was “too opaque,” said ECA Andrikienė. “Improvements are absolutely necessary. We cannot continue this business as usual.”

Above all, CEA has found no evidence of NGOs using EU funds in a way that violated EU law or EU values – Including via advocacy or lobbying work paid with EU money – but warned that the risk that this happened was higher due to the lack of transparency, the agency announced at a press briefing on Monday.