The European Commission has confirmed that EU funds have supported NGOs promoting Green Deal, but it has stopped specified backing in consequence to controversy.
This decision followed the disclosure of practices whereby EU institutions utilized taxpayers' funds to push green strategies.
According to the Politico portal, the EC blocked EUR 5.4 billion from the LIFE Fund for "green projects" for lobbying activities. This is the consequence of a media scandal involving reports of the engagement of environmental organisations in Green Deal lobbying. This decision relates to the "anti-green electoral demands of the centre-right European People's Party", mentioned in its manifesto. LIFE funds (2021–2027), which went to WWF, Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth and smaller activist groups, can no longer support river campaigning.
According to Politico, the EC has previously allowed lobbying aimed at EU politicians and institutions, but has now withdrawn from backing specified activities. Grants included organizing meetings, preparing expert analyses, reporting on decision-makers' attitudes or developing strategies to convince them for climate objectives. However, the EC concluded that these practices exposure its image to criticism and undermine public confidence.
Politico reports appeared 2 days after the publication of the Dutch paper De Telegraaf, which revealed that the EC under the direction of Frans Timmermans (the then climate commissioner) had concluded agreements with NGOs for lobbying behind the Green Deal, financed by the EU budget. The papers indicated that circumstantial objectives were set for organisations, e.g. to encourage Euro-Parliamentarians or national governments to support the EU strategy.
The subject has been picked up by media across the EU. erstwhile NL Times journalists asked Timmermans about "secret contracts", he denied their existence, nevertheless he admitted that the EC had collaborated with the NGOs on projects promoting climate policy. He besides suggested that any irregularities in spending should be examined by the Commission itself.
The EC decision to halt lobbying backing is interpreted by any commentators as an effort to mitigate the effects of the scandal – a "controlled leak" to put public awareness to sleep. Organic organisations, which have lost their backing source, respond with outrage, claiming that the ban on lobbying strikes the meaning of LIFE. The question remains whether the EC's assurance of "legality" of past practices will convince society and critics in Europe.
"The EU is totally for defending the environment. I just don't want to pay for it anymore. The European Commission has informed environmental NGOs that the money they receive from the EU Green Funds pool can no longer be utilized for lobbying and advocacy activities" – sums up Politico, citing EC interior documents.
