The European Commission pushed back Saturday against German media reports alleging it signed secret contracts with environmental NGOs to promote EU climate policy, calling the claims “false” and reaffirming its transparency in funding practices.
“There are no secret contracts between the European Commission and NGOs,” a spokesperson told Euronews. “The Commission exercises a high degree of transparency when it comes to providing funding to NGOs.”
The denial comes in response to an article by Welt am Sonntag, which claimed the EU Executive had paid NGOs — including ClientEarth and Friends of the Earth — up to €700,000 under undisclosed contracts to lobby for Green Deal policies, including legal action against German coal plants and opposition to the EU-Mercosur trade deal.
ClientEarth refuted the allegations, clarifying that its funding was allocated to support internal staff and operations in its German office, not litigation costs.
The controversy has added fuel to political tensions in Brussels. The European People’s Party (EPP) has long criticized the Commission’s engagement with NGOs, accusing it of using public funds to influence lawmakers. In January, Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin admitted that some LIFE programme grants had been used inappropriately to support lobbying activity, calling it “inappropriate,” though still defending the vital role of NGOs in the legislative process.
Further scrutiny came in April when the European Court of Auditors warned that funding practices risked damaging the Commission’s reputation due to a lack of clarity, though it found no breach of EU values.
To address concerns, the Commission says it has updated guidance to prevent NGOs from undertaking activities that directly target EU institutions or lawmakers and has committed to “further measures” to enhance transparency. All grant details, including recipient names and funding amounts, are available on the EU’s Financial Transparency System.
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices....
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defe...
Multiple people were shot on Saturday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, prompting an active shooter alert and a campus lockdown, city o...
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spok...
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman....
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defence budget, new conflicts could erupt elsewhere, even if Ukraine receives security guarantees.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
Iranian authorities have seized a foreign tanker carrying more than 6 million litres of smuggled fuel in the Sea of Oman.
The Oligarch’s Design is an investigative documentary exploring how financial power, political influence and carefully constructed narratives can shape conflict and public perception.
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his offer to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Ankara, at his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks took place on the sidelines of the international Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, on Friday (12 December).
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday (11 December) puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve of the Black Sea nation's entry into the euro zone.
Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Saturday that Thai forces would continue military action along the Cambodia border until Bangkok believes there is no longer a threat to Thai territory or civilians.
U.S. stock markets closed lower at the end of the week, as investors continued to rotate out of technology shares, putting pressure on major indices.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that without concrete concessions from Russia, such as limiting its military forces or curbing its defence budget, new conflicts could erupt elsewhere, even if Ukraine receives security guarantees.
Multiple people were shot on Saturday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, prompting an active shooter alert and a campus lockdown, city officials said.
The latest round of clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has left 15 Thai soldiers dead and 270 others injured, Thailand’s Ministry of Defence spokesman Surasant Kongsiri said at a press conference on Saturday.
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