Transparency means providing citizens with the information they need so that they can hold public decision-makers accountable for their actions. NGOs play an important role in shaping EU policies. The Court assessed the transparency of EU funding granted to NGOs under the EU’s internal policies. It found that, despite improvements, the transparency of EU funding provided to NGOs has been hindered by inconsistent classification of NGOs and by issues affecting data quality.
The Court also found that neither the European Commission nor other bodies proactively monitor whether recipients comply with EU values, and that some advocacy activities were funded by the Commission in a manner that was not fully transparent. The Court recommends that the Commission standardize the classification of NGOs, improve the quality of data on EU spending, and actively verify compliance with EU values.
This is a Special Report of the European Court of Auditors submitted pursuant to Article 287(4), second subparagraph, of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
The Court also found that neither the European Commission nor other bodies proactively monitor whether recipients comply with EU values, and that some advocacy activities were funded by the Commission in a manner that was not fully transparent. The Court recommends that the Commission standardize the classification of NGOs, improve the quality of data on EU spending, and actively verify compliance with EU values.
This is a Special Report of the European Court of Auditors submitted pursuant to Article 287(4), second subparagraph, of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).