Parliament Puts an End to the ‘Scandal That Wasn’t’
A key moment came with the adoption of Amendment 12, which sends a clear signal that EU grant agreements are grounded in legal frameworks and that civil society advocacy is both lawful and essential to EU democracy.
Amendment 12 welcomes Commissioner Piotr Serafin’s written clarification that EU-funded NGOs operate fully within EU law and the LIFE Regulation. It also references the European Court of Auditors’ Special Report 11/2025, which confirms that NGO advocacy is legal and transparent, and that transparency standards should apply equally to all beneficiaries of EU funds, not just civil society.
The final report also reiterates the importance of the LIFE programme and recalls its legal basis, including rules on operating grants, eligibility, and fund distribution under the LIFE+ Regulation.
In a separate but highly relevant development, Amendment 19 of the PIF (Protection of the EU’s Financial Interests) report was also adopted yesterday. It further solidifies the Parliament’s recognition of civil society as a democratic cornerstone.
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Notes that civil society organisations are an essential component of a vibrant democratic society, ensuring the broad coverage of diverse views in public debates;
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recognises that these organisations may receive Union funds to support their work in contributing to democratic dialogue and public engagement; notes that the EU is one of the largest global funders of civil society organisations;
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emphasises that transparency in stakeholder meetings is fundamental to democratic integrity and should apply equally to all entities engaging with EU institutions;
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takes note of the recent ECA special report on the transparency of EU funding granted to NGOs, which confirms the legality and transparency of such funding under EU law.
“This vote is a turning point. The European Parliament has not only reaffirmed the legality of NGO funding but also sent a strong signal that public interest advocacy is a core part of EU democracy. The manufactured scandal has been debunked, and those behind these shameful attacks are in the minority. Now it’s time to get back to solving the real crises Europe faces: climate breakdown, pollution, and nature loss,” said Faustine Bas-Defossez, Policy Director at the European Environmental Bureau.
The main takeaway: Today’s votes confirm what civil society has said all along. There was never a scandal, only a political campaign to discredit independent voices. With these results, common sense and reason prevailed in the European Parliament, where a majority finally reaffirmed the legal and democratic legitimacy of NGO funding public interest advocacy across the EU after a month-long witch hunt by a very vocal minority on the radical right.
And crucially, with this explicit recognition of the legal basis for funding, the Commission’s own clarifications, and the transparency compliance of civil society grants, the push for an inquiry committee now looks politically and procedurally absurd. Under Rule 215 of the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, such a committee is only justified by concrete suspicion of maladministration or breach of EU law.
Moreover, the European Parliament also voted on its own-initiative report on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). While non-binding, the report signals broad political support for increased investment in environmental and climate priorities:
Paragraph 36 “recalls that the Union budget is an essential contributor to achieving climate neutrality by 2050” and “calls for increased directly managed support for environment and biodiversity protection and climate action, building on the current LIFE programme.”
Tomorrow, the EPP must choose again: stand with democratic institutions and the rule of law, or lend support to the radical right’s baseless campaign against civil society.
ENDS
