EU: NGO funding “too opaque” (Court of Auditors)

Brussels – The European Union has granted around 7.4 billion euros to a large number of NGOs between 2021 and 2023, but public information on the beneficiaries and the use of the money is still too fragmented, the European Court of Auditors has judged.

“ EU funding for NGOs is too opaque and suffers from a lack of transparency ,” said Laima Andrikiene, in charge of the report.

Press articles suggesting that the Union has allocated part of the funds granted to environmental NGOs for lobbying activities with European institutions triggered a political storm in Brussels at the beginning of the year.

Calls to stop funding have been made by right-wing and far-right MEPs, but have faced protests from the left.

“ Greater transparency in the use of these funds is undoubtedly necessary. However, it is a mistake to point the finger at civil society in this debate ,” reacted Daniel Freund, German Green MEP. (April 7, 2025)