EPP and Far-Right join forces to investigate EU green NGO funding
A new working group is being launched in the European Parliament to investigate how EU funds have been allocated to environmental NGOs — a move driven by a coalition of right-wing parties and met with sharp criticism from progressive groups.
Backed by the centre-right European People's Party (EPP), the Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), and the far-right Patriots for Europe (PfE), the initiative aims to scrutinize whether the European Commission has been using public money to bolster support for the Green Deal. The decision, adopted by the Parliament’s Conference of Presidents, allows the Budgetary Control Committee to set up a dedicated working group for six months to examine the issue and present recommendations.
While right-wing proponents hail the effort as a step toward transparency, critics from the centre-left and Green camps describe it as a political attack on civil society.
Nicola Procaccini, an Italian MEP from Fratelli d’Italia and president of the ECR group, called the move a “success” after his push for a formal committee of inquiry failed. “Without our initiative, this would never have seen the light of day,” he said. “We imposed it despite strong opposition from the left.”
Progressive voices, however, warn of a dangerous precedent. Iratxe García Pérez, president of the Socialist & Democrats (S&D), expressed concern over the narrow focus of the group. “We support transparency, but this should apply broadly — not just to NGOs pushing for environmental protection.”
Green MEP Marie Toussaint went further, accusing the initiative of mirroring authoritarian tactics: “This is not about oversight. This is about discrediting, intimidating, and silencing those who defend the environment.”
Manon Aubry, co-president of The Left, also criticized the hypocrisy of the move, pointing out that the same parties behind the working group have previously blocked the creation of an independent ethics body to oversee lobbying and EU fund distribution.
The working group’s findings could shape the next phase of the EU’s environmental policy — or stall it. What remains to be seen is whether this will lead to greater transparency or mark the beginning of a politically charged campaign against climate advocates.
Source:eunews
