European Commission denies secret deals with NGOs amid climate policy row

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.

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