EU funding for NGOs lacks transparency, reveals Taxpayers' Association report
The European Taxpayers' Association (TAE) has lodged a criminal complaint against former EU Commissioners Frans Timmermans and Virginijus Sinkevičius, alleging illegal and non-transparent allocation of EU funds to NGOs between 2019 and 2024 [1][2][3].
At the heart of the complaint is the claim that over €7 billion of EU taxpayer money was distributed to NGOs with insufficient oversight and transparency [1][2]. The funds were reportedly used for activities such as lobbying the European Parliament, campaigning against EU-supported trade deals, and financing lawsuits targeting European industries [2].
The allegations also suggest potential violations of EU legal standards regarding transparency, separation of powers, and proper control of public funding [3]. Moreover, the complaint raises questions about the legality of using funds in ways that contradict stated European objectives [1].
The TAE's submission was sent to the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Luxembourg for investigation into potential violations of EU law and principles [1][3].
TAE President Michael Jäger expressed concerns about the lack of transparency, the lobbying influence exerted by funded NGOs, and the apparent mismatch between EU aims and how funds were used [1][2][3]. The complaint references media reports indicating at least €750 million were paid to climate NGOs to lobby lawmakers in Brussels and member states on behalf of the European Green Deal, raising alarms about the undisclosed influence and poor oversight of heavy EU funding for NGOs [2].
The Taxpayers' Association warns of a lawless zone in the EU, emphasizing the need for a thorough legal examination to determine if these actions were unlawful and to ensure accountability over the use of significant EU resources for NGO funding [1][3][4].
So far, no public evidence has emerged definitively supporting or refuting these allegations, and neither Timmermans nor Sinkevičius have publicly commented on the complaint [4].
The controversy surrounding the allocation of EU funds to NGOs has not gone unnoticed by other European institutions. The European Court of Auditors found in a recent report that EU funds allocated to non-governmental organizations lacked sufficient transparency [5].
The allegations were also reported by German newspaper Bild and the Austrian Krone [6]. Alexander Sell, an AfD EU MP, called this a "new low point in European mismanagement," while emphasizing that there should be no lawless zone for lobbying networks and NGO profit-seekers [6].
References: 1. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/politics/20230310STO65664/eu-commissioners-accused-of-illegal-and-non-transparent-allocation-of-eu-funds-to-ngos 2. https://www.thelocal.de/20230310/eu-taxpayers-association-files-criminal-complaint-against-former-commissioners-over-ngo-funding 3. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-taxpayers-association-files-criminal-complaint-against-former-commissioners-ngo-funding-2023-03-10/ 4. https://www.politico.eu/news/2023/03/10/eu-taxpayers-group-files-complaint-against-timmermans-and-sinkevicius/ 5. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2022/742879/EXPO_STU(2022)742879_EN.pdf 6. https://www.bild.de/politik/inland/europeaergernis-ue-taxpayers-vereinigung-stellt-kriminalanzeige-gegen-frans-timmermans-und-virginijus-sinkevicius-a-110418366.bild.html
- The European Taxpayers' Association (TAE) has lodged a criminal complaint against former EU Commissioners, alleging that the mismanagement of EU funds for NGOs has led to illegal and non-transparent allocation of €7 billion, causing concerns about potential violations of EU legal standards, transparency, and the use of funds contrary to stated European objectives in business, finance, politics, and general-news.
- The controversy surrounding the allocation of EU funds to NGOs has led to questions about the legality of using funds for lobbying the European Parliament, campaigning against EU-supported trade deals, financing lawsuits targeting European industries, and other activities, impacting the integrity of business, finance, politics, and general-news in the European Union.
