Answer given by Mr Serafin on behalf of the European Commission
14.4.2025
The Commission did not instruct nor require non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to lobby Members of the European Parliament.
NGOs independently propose their work programme of activities in the policy areas indicated in the LIFE Regulation[1], in response to a call for proposals[2] published by the Commission.
The call for proposals does not require any lobbying activities towards the Members of the European Parliament or other stakeholders.
The work programme is then annexed to the operating grant agreement signed between the Commission and the NGO[3]. The NGO has the contractual obligation to properly implement the work programme it proposed, while the Commission has the obligation to pay the amount of the grant.
The work programmes may or may not mention, among other NGO’s activities, advocacy related to environmental, climate and energy efficiency policies.
These activities are not imposed by the Commission. The Commission does not prescribe the specific activities to be carried out by the NGOs in their work programme , nor does it instruct them to support any specific positions .
According to the grant agreements, any opinions expressed, and activities carried out remain the sole responsibility of the NGOs. Civil society entities remain fully autonomous and free to establish their own views on all policy matters.
The Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration made clarifications in this sense also during the meeting of the European Parliament Committee on Budgets on 29 January 2025[4].
- [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0783
- [2] See for example the 2024 LIFE call for operating grants: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/life/wp-call/2021-2024/call-fiche_life-2024-ngo-og-sga_en.pdf
- [3] See for example the 2024 LIFE model grant agreement for operating grants: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/life/agr-contr/og-flat-rate-mga_life_en.pdf
- [4] https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/webstreaming/committee-on-budgets_20250129-1500-COMMITTEE-BUDG