Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-000357/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Carlo Fidanza (ECR), Nicola Procaccini (ECR), Antonella Sberna (ECR), Daniele Polato (ECR), Mariateresa Vivaldini (ECR), Francesco Torselli (ECR), Marco Squarta (ECR), Michele Picaro (ECR), Alessandro Ciriani (ECR), Ruggero Razza (ECR), Chiara Gemma (ECR), Sergio Berlato (ECR), Denis Nesci (ECR), Stefano Cavedagna (ECR), Carlo Ciccioli (ECR), Giovanni Crosetto (ECR), Pietro Fiocchi (ECR), Elena Donazzan (ECR), Mario Mantovani (ECR), Alberico Gambino (ECR), Paolo Inselvini (ECR), Lara Magoni (ECR), Giuseppe Milazzo (ECR), Francesco Ventola (ECR), Georgiana Teodorescu (ECR), Assita Kanko (ECR), Mariusz Kamiński (ECR), Gheorghe Piperea (ECR), Jaak Madison (ECR), Rihards Kols (ECR), Bert-Jan Ruissen (ECR), Aurelijus Veryga (ECR), Diego Solier (ECR), Bogdan Rzońca (ECR), Jadwiga Wiśniewska (ECR), Nora Junco García (ECR), Adrian-George Axinia (ECR), Adam Bielan (ECR), Marion Maréchal (ECR), Veronika Vrecionová (ECR), Ondřej Krutílek (ECR), Dominik Tarczyński (ECR), Alexander Sell (ESN), Tomasz Froelich (ESN), Erik Kaliňák (NI), Ondřej Knotek (PfE), Katarína Roth Neveďalová (NI), Friedrich Pürner (NI), Susanna Ceccardi (PfE), Anna Maria Cisint (PfE), Gerolf Annemans (PfE), Paolo Borchia (PfE), Raffaele Stancanelli (PfE), Céline Imart (PPE), Aldo Patriciello (PfE), Fernand Kartheiser (ECR), Sarah Knafo (ESN), António Tânger Corrêa (PfE), Jorge Martín Frías (PfE), Hermann Tertsch (PfE), Sebastian Tynkkynen (ECR), Margarita de la Pisa Carrión (PfE), Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal (PfE), Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez (PPE), Alexandr Vondra (ECR)
According to Dutch press sources, the previous Commission – under the influence of former Vice-President Frans Timmermans – spent at least EUR 700 000 on funding NGOs promoting green policies, with the explicit aim of lobbying MEPs and influencing their freedom of expression.
On 22 January 2025, Commissioner Serafin declared that ‘it was inappropriate for some services in the Commission to enter into agreements that oblige NGOs to lobby members of the European Parliament’, acknowledging a serious breach of fairness, transparency and loyal cooperation.
An additional EUR 15 million may have been allocated by other agencies for the same purpose.
We therefore ask the Commission:
- 1.Will it disclose a complete list of the NGOs involved, the funds earmarked for lobbying, related expense reports, beneficiaries, and a complete list of officials overseeing these activities?
- 2.Will it provide complete lists of the legislative measures targeted, the MEPs approached or those who were earmarked to be approached, the intended outcomes of the lobbying, and what actions the Commission plans to take – including referrals to the European Anti-Fraud Office or the European Public Prosecutor’s Office – to investigate and sanction any irregularities in the work of the Commission, the EU agencies or their officials?
- 3.Is it aware of similar lobbying initiatives, particularly in relation to environmental, agricultural or migration policies?
Submitted: 27.1.2025