EU: Reviewing NGO funding

European Parliament decided on Thursday (19 June) to form a working group to examine the funding non-governmental organizations from the budget Of the European Union, which represents a victory for right-wing political groups, "Politico" reports.

The proposal, tabled by the European People's Party (EPP) and supported by the conservative group European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and the far-right Patriots for Europe (PfE), is the latest in a series of attempts by the European right to increase oversight of NGOs.

Socialists and Democrats (SiD), liberals from Rinju Europe, Greens and Left voted against the establishment of the working group.

The right for stricter regulation

Right-wing groups across Europe are increasingly expressing concern that non-governmental organizations are using funds from European funds to lobby for stricter regulations in areas such as environmental protection and health.

The result of the vote shows the EPP's increasing willingness to cooperate with right-wing political parties, abandoning the current centrist coalition that has long dominated European politics, in favor of an informal right-wing coalition, which some call the "Venezuelan majority."

The EPP announced that the working group will examine grant contracts awarded by the Commission to non-governmental organizations.

The idea of ​​this oversight body arose when EPP MPs in the budget control committee accused the European Commission of funding non-governmental organizations to lobby the Parliament on its behalf.

The Investigative Commission is a special body of the Parliament established to investigate serious allegations of violations of EU law.

Such commissions are very rare and have been formed in cases such as the Panama Papers affair and the Pegasus spyware scandal.

On the other hand, the working group is an ad hoc body that functions within the already existing committee that oversees the spending of the EC budget.

Source: Politiko/FoNet