Civil Society Europe, Transparency International EU, and the European Environmental Bureau call on the Conference of Presidents in our joint letter to reject the proposal to establish a committee of inquiry on the Commission’s funding of NGOs.
In the ongoing attack against civil society, some MEPs from the European Conservatives and Reformists Group in the European Parliament are calling to establish an inquiry committee on EU funding to NGOs. Committees of inquiry are rare and are typically used to investigate genuine breaches of EU law.
As outlined in our joint letter, there is no evidence of any corruption, misconduct, or wrongdoing regarding NGO funding by the Commission that would justify the setting up of an inquiry committee. This is further outlined in the recent European Court of Auditors report on the matter, which found no misuse of EU funds by NGOs. It also stated that EU funding can be used to support advocacy, as part of the ongoing involvement of civil society organisations in policy-making, which forms part of the EU Treaties obligations under article 11 of the Treaty on European Union and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Furthermore, EU budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin, in response to a parliamentary question, stated that ‘the Commission did not instruct nor require non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to lobby Members of the European Parliament’.
It is quite clear that the establishment of an inquiry committee on this matter, when there is lack of evidence to support it, would affect the credibility of the European Parliament to investigate budgetary matters. It could also further enable anti-civil society rhetoric at a time when democracy and the possibility for citizens to have their voice heard is at risk.