Last week, conservative and rightwing MEPs in the European Parliament questioned whether NGOs should receive public funding through EU programmes such as LIFE to engage in EU policy-making.
It’s important to note that LIFE, the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action (which encompasses more than operating grants for NGOs), was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council years ago and has been operating ever since.
Critics allege, in an increasingly aggressive tone, that NGOs “misuse” these funds to unduly and secretly influence EU decision-making and that this constitutes a “scandal.” Let’s be clear: there is no scandal, no secrecy, here.
NGOs are not lobbyists for the European Commission or other EU institutions and this false claim must be rejected in the strongest possible terms. Instead, organisations like the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) are rooted in science, providing evidence-based, expert, non-partisan policy recommendations for nature and the climate. Millions of citizens support this work through memberships, awareness raising, volunteering, and campaigns.
WWF’s work programmes are developed with our European offices, free from external influence, be it the European Commission or anyone else. We define our objectives and strategies, and carry out our work independently. The LIFE funding allows us and other NGOs to bridge the gap between national constituencies, citizens and decision-makers, helping bring diverse voices into the policy arena.
And contrary to what critics claim: the funding we receive from the European Commission is fully transparent, audited, and publicly accounted for. NGOs like WWF have been registered with the EU Transparency Register for years, ensuring accountability and openness.
It is simply absurd to accuse NGOs of doing the commission’s bidding. Our independence is clear and well-documented. WWF has openly opposed the commission on numerous issues, from its decision to include fossil fuels in the EU Taxonomy (over which WWF took it to court!), to the proposed 12-month implementation delay of the crucial anti-deforestation law EUDR, and to its move to downgrade the protection status of the wolf.
The real scandal lies elsewhere, with private interests, not public ones, dominating EU lobbying. In 2024, the top 50 corporations spent nearly €200m lobbying EU institutions — a staggering 66 percent increase since 2015 - exerting outsized influence on decision-makers, often at the expense of climate action and environmental safeguards, such as key files of the EU Green Deal which have been weakened, delayed or even stopped by powerful corporate lobbying.
Compare this to the funding NGOs receive: While the overall LIFE budget amounts to €700m annually — 0.3 percent of the EU budget — only a tiny fraction of this (€15.6m per year) is allocated to support environmental NGOs. Peanuts really, yet vital for the survival of a thriving democracy, where all voices - not just wealthy corporations - can be heard.
Ironically, many of the same MEPs attacking NGOs hold lucrative second jobs in the private sector, raising serious questions about conflicts of interest, and many fail to declare meetings with private lobbyists while targeting NGOs.
If there’s a risk to EU taxpayers, it’s not from NGOs advocating for a healthier planet — it’s from a political culture that allows private enrichment to influence public policy-making.
At a time of growing disinformation and threats to our democracy from powerful forces seeking to establish autocracies, undermining the credibility and mandate of NGOs is not just ridiculous but frankly dangerous.
Civil society plays a vital role in holding power to account, ensuring policies are grounded in science, public interest, and democratic values — not greed and short-term economic gain. Without NGO engagement, our democracy would be weakened, leaving the EU vulnerable to (even greater) corporate capture and fake news.
If Europe is to remain a beacon of democracy and environmental leadership, policy-makers must reject these misplaced attacks and protect the credibility, mandate and funding of NGOs — not just in Brussels but everywhere - as an essential investment in people, nature, and the future of our planet.
There are many threats to our democracy — NGOs are not one of them.
Ester Asin is director of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) European policy office.
Ester Asin is director of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) European policy office.