The European right-wing, led by the EPP, has long campaigned to defund and silence NGOs, securing a key victory in May 2024 when the Commission introduced new guidelines to block funding for NGOs engaging in advocacy. Now, they are pushing even further, calling for a European law to regulate NGOs and restrict their influence. At this point, a no-nonsense guide to Conservative spin highlights several key tactics: claiming a violation of “the principle of separation of powers” and falsely portraying NGOs as tools of the Commission to attack conservative policies; spreading the conspiracy theory that DG Environment funds NGOs to undermine DG GROW’s industry-friendly policies; inflating NGO funding under the LIFE programme to 5.4 billion EUR, when NGOs actually receive only a fraction; exploiting the Qatargate scandal to discredit legitimate NGOs; pushing hypocritical transparency demands while opposing stricter corporate lobbying rules; and labeling NGOs as enemies of EU interests, reinforcing authoritarian narratives to weaken civil society and policymaking. Read more here.
Source: Corporate Europe Observatory