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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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer led a virtual meeting which included over 30 international leaders on Tuesday morning of what is known as ‘coalition of the willing’.
Mozambique’s biggest cultural event officially opened Monday in Tete, drawing over 1,200 participants from all provinces for five days of artistic performances, exhibitions and discussions.
An international team of 40 scientists and technical staff has embarked on a 54-day mission to study the impacts of Tonga's 2022 Hunga Volcano eruption.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that last week’s U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska showed U.S. President Donald Trump and his team were genuinely committed to securing a long-term and sustainable peace in Ukraine.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
'Superman' continued to dominate the summer box office, pulling in another $57.25 million in its second weekend, as theatres welcome a wave of blockbuster competition following a challenging few years for the film industry.
Honduras has brought back mask mandates as COVID-19 cases and a new variant surge nationwide.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer led a virtual meeting which included over 30 international leaders on Tuesday morning of what is known as ‘coalition of the willing’.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that last week’s U.S.-Russia summit in Alaska showed U.S. President Donald Trump and his team were genuinely committed to securing a long-term and sustainable peace in Ukraine.
Russia has recently handed over another 1,000 bodies of fallen servicemen to the Ukrainian side, while Ukraine, in turn, transferred 19 bodies to Russia.
Air Canada's unionised flight attendants reached an agreement with the country's largest carrier on Tuesday, ending the first strike by its cabin crew in 40 years that had upended travel plans for hundreds of thousands of passengers.
The United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP) warned that around three million Syrians could face severe hunger, noting that more than half of the country’s 25.6 million people are already food insecure.
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