Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002769/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Barbara Bonte (PfE)
In June 2025, German newspaper Die Welt revealed that several EU-funded NGOs, including Carbon Market Watch, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) and ECOS, actively participated in the work of CBAM expert groups, which help shape policy regarding the carbon border adjustment mechanism. These organisations received substantial grants from the Commission and, in some cases, the funding accounted for more than a quarter of their total budget. At the same time, representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have been excluded from these groups time and time again, despite the fact that they are directly concerned by the impact of CBAM. These practices raise serious questions about conflicts of interest and deliberate policy manipulation.
- 1.Why did the Commission prioritise self-funded NGOs in the composition of CBAM expert groups, and on what grounds were SMEs structurally excluded?
- 2.How does the Commission ensure impartiality when it funds organisations that simultaneously participate in the work of expert groups which are devising policy?
- 3.Will the Commission provide full transparency on these practices and agree to an independent investigation into conflicts of interest and political influence in the composition and operation of CBAM expert groups?
Submitted: 8.7.2025