Commission subsidises to the European Environmental Bureau

Subject: Commission subsidises to the European Environmental Bureau

During the March 2023 plenary session, the European Parliament voted on, among other things, the renovation requirement for public and private buildings, with a view to meeting the Green Deal climate targets.

It is abundantly clear that a number of lobby groups defending the interests of industrial sectors that benefit significantly from these regulations weighed very heavily on this particular file. Moreover, if a number of reports are to be believed, lobbyists subsidised by the Commission itself also appear to have exerted an undeniable influence on this file: for example, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), an umbrella lobby group that claims to unite the Union’s broad civil society.

What is striking is that the EEB, which is listed in the transparency register under number 06798511314-27, gets to have its cake and eat it too, receiving subsidies from the Commission while at the same time weighing in on EU policy as a third-party interest group. Having met with the Commission nearly 150 times since 2014, its influence cannot be underestimated.

1. Does the Commission subsidise the EEB with the aim of influencing MEPs?

2. Which other pressure groups receive subsidies from the Commission?

3. For what reasons does the Commission provide subsidies to pressure groups?

Submitted: 27.3.2023

Answer given by Mr Sinkevičius on behalf of the European Commission (27 June 2024)

The Commission attaches great importance to the support of a pluralistic and vibrant civil society in the public democratic debate, including through its programmes and funding opportunities and supports in that framework, entities, including civil society organisations, for the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of EU legislation and policy.

In all cases, the entities concerned are fully and solely responsible for their own views. In carrying out their activities, they do not receive a mandate from the Commission to engage in campaigning or lobbying activities.

The European Environmental Bureau receives funding with the objective to support administrative and operational costs as part of the operating grants awarded under the EU programme for the environment and climate action (1).

The list per year of all beneficiaries active in the area of environment and climate action, including the energy transition, is available under the corresponding operating grants website (2).

1 ∙ ⸱ https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/life_en

2 ∙ ⸱ https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/life/life-operating-grants_en#how-many-and-what-organisations-are-funded