💸THE NGO SCANDAL… THAT WASN’T

Weird week, huh? From Trump’s tariff tantrums dominating headlines to yet another plot twist in Brussels’ ongoing NGO funding saga, it’s been… a ride. Oh, and a biotech start-up claims to have brought the so-called “dire wolf” back from extinction after 10,000 years – a bold (and doubtful) claim that feels especially ironic given recent rollbacks of protections for the actual wolves still among us… 

In the midst of the noise, we hope this week’s newsletter brings you back to earth – literally – with updates on soil, water, and civil society solidarity. And what would we really do without our friends?

If nothing else works, I finally got around to watching The Biggest Little Farm (2018) – a beautiful documentary about a couple transforming 200 acres of depleted farmland into a biodiverse, self-sustaining ecosystem. It’s wholesome, inspiring, and a good reminder of what’s worth fighting for! #RubyRecommends 

💸THE NGO SCANDAL… THAT WASN’T 

WILD RIDE – If you’ve been following the saga around EU funding for NGOs, you’ll know it’s been a wild few months, and not for the right reasons.  

WHERE IT STARTED – While the first rumblings started in early December last year, things really kicked off after January’s EU Parliament plenary. What should have been a routine vote turned into the latest battleground in a politically-driven disinformation campaign – led by the usual suspects on the far right, but this time emboldened by some German and Dutch conservatives, annoyed by the environmental movement’s major wins last mandate (remember the Nature Restoration Law?). 

BRING THE POPCORN – From there, things snowballed. With shifting majorities in the Parliament and a new set of Commissioners incoming following the EU elections, we saw high-profile media attacks, misleading accusations, and increasingly absurd claims – including the now-infamous idea (and myth) that the Commission is paying NGOs to lobby MEPs on its behalf. Spoiler: It’s not true, and there was never any actual evidence offered to support this claim. 

AND THEN, AND THEN… In February, MEP Monika Hohlmeier (EPP, Germany) tried to push sweeping anti-NGO language into her report to the Budgetary Control Committee (CONT). Narrowly defeated. In March, several objections targeting LIFE funding – the EU’s main programme for environment and climate action, including operating grants for EU environmental NGOs – failed in the Environment Committee (ENVI). Again, by a single vote, with several EPP MEPs not sticking to the party line (thankfully).

AND THIS WEEK, FACTS LANDED – The European Court of Auditors (ECA) finally published its much-anticipated review of NGO funding and transparency. Despite some pretty creative headline writing in certain corners of the media, the report’s findings are clear: No evidence of misused funds. NGOs can advocate for the public interest – including talking to MEPs (imagine!). The same transparency rules should apply to all recipients of EU funding (that means corporate interests, too).  

The real criticism? The Commission’s transparency systems are clunky, and there’s a need for clearer definitions of what counts as an NGO – independent, non-profit, and free from corporate or governmental control. That’s something civil society has long asked for too, alongside the need for the same transparency rules to apply to all recipients of EU funds – NGOs, corporations, business associations, research institutions, and more. 

TL;DR from the ECA to the Commission: Do better due diligence, fix your systems, and move on. 

😱 Months of scandal-mongering – and it turns out NGOs were right all along.👻

MEANWHILE IN CONT… The Budgetary Control Committee also voted on the 2023 EU Commission budget discharge this week – and something passed! 

Early drafts, led once again by EPP’s Niclas Herbst, tried to resurrect the “NGOs are lobbying with EU cash” narrative. But after rounds of negotiations (and likely some lessons learned from Hohlmeier’s defeat), the final text is… much more measured. The specific attacks on LIFE-funded NGOs? Gone. What’s left is a vague note that some MEPs had concerns. Great…

Translation: Another attempted hit job, watered down to survive a vote. Next stop: Plenary in early May. And yes, we’re ready. Come what may.

SO, WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE US? This whole episode has been a massive distraction. NGOs across Europe – already stretched thin by a tidal wave of Green Deal rollbacks – have been forced to spend months defending not just our work but the very role of civil society in democracy. The precious time we should have been spending tackling pollution, protecting nature, and accelerating climate action. 

At the same time, it’s been encouraging to see more journalists, institutions, and voices calling this saga what it really is: a politically motivated attack on civil society dressed up as scandal.  

But we’re not out of the woods yet. There’s worrying talk in far-right circles of setting up an EU Parliament inquiry committee – normally reserved for the EU’s gravest scandals – to go after NGO funding. Clearly, it’s not about transparency. It’s about silencing voices that stand up for people and planet. 

THE BOTTOM LINE – This was never about NGO funding. It’s about power. As the EU heads into crucial budget negotiations – including the upcoming review of its long-term budget (MFF) – the real questions are these: will Europe continue to fund public interest work that holds power to account as it has done for decades? Will it continue to fund nature and climate? Or will it cave to those trying to shrink democratic institutions, civil society space, and the ecosystems that sustain them? 

Because real security isn’t just about defence spending. It’s about resilient societies, healthy ecosystems, and a stable climate. And those are exactly the things we’ll keep fighting for. Speaking of capitalism…

🌍CLIMATE OF CHANGE 

Is capitalism the next climate casualty? According to Allianz, one of the world’s largest insurers, the financial system could unravel before ecosystems do. In an interview with The Guardian, board member Günther Thallinger warned that climate-fuelled disasters are pushing insurers to the brink. With extreme weather racking up a $2 trillion bill over the past decade, entire regions are becoming “uninsurable.” And without insurance? Say goodbye to mortgages, investments, and the foundations of modern finance. As insurers put it, we may be approaching a “climate-induced credit crunch”. That sound you hear? It’s the financial sector sweating through its suit.  

RENEWABLES PUSH – While the planet boils, Trump mocks renewable energy and cheers coal’s comeback in the US. But we’re in the 21st century, not the 1800s. The latest Ember electricity review shows that 40% of the world’s electricity in 2024 came from fossil-free sources, with solar leading the charge as the fastest-growing and largest source of new power. Paired with battery storage, solar is set to be an unstoppable force driving the energy transition. So, while Trump clings to his drills, the rest of the world is plugging into a decarbonised future. 

POWERING UP WITHOUT PRICING UP – All this new renewable power needs somewhere to go. That means grids; a lot of grids. Europe must double its grid investment to €100 billion a year by 2050. If we don’t get this right, network costs could push electricity bills up by 50 to 100%. ACER’s latest report is sounding the alarm: we need smarter grid investments and fairer cost-sharing, or the energy transition risks deepening the cost-of-living crisis. Their advice? Use more brains and fewer bulldozers: by making better use of existing infrastructure and designing tariffs that don’t make consumers foot the whole bill. Read more here. 

💦A BIG WEEK IN THE WORLD OF WATER 

A TRICKLE BECOMES A FLOOD – On Monday, a group of 17 organisations issued a joint open letter calling on EU policymakers to take water pollution seriously – and act to fix this growing (and increasingly existential) crisis for Europe. 

PEOPLE WANT ACTION – Tackling water pollution is a no-brainer. Clean water is essential for us all (think society, nature, business, life…) On top of this, the vast majority (78%) of Europeans want to see more EU-level action to fix water pollution! 

INACTION ON WATER BAD FOR BUSINESS – Together with diverse stakeholders representing various industries and sectors, the EEB is urging EU institutions to swiftly adopt vital new quality standards for precious surface and groundwater. We stand firm against any proposals that seek to weaken environmental protections under the Water Framework Directive (WFD). People are fed up with delays – it’s high time for policymakers to act! 

😡COMMITTEE VOTES AGAINST NATURE  

‘ALL HAIL TECH’… On Tuesday, we moved our focus to the EU Parliament, where the Environment Committee cast a key vote on the EU’s urgently needed Water Resilience Strategy. Following a familiar disinformation campaign peddled by conservative and far-right MEPs, the final text sidelines the importance of proven nature-based solutions that repair water cycles and boost climate resilience, instead favouring unproven techno-fixes.  

COMMON SENSE M.I.A. The draft also weakens the enforcement of EU water laws, removes binding targets for industrial water use, and fails to tackle pollution from agriculture and industry. Even efforts to phase out harmful PFAS chemicals were diluted… See our full joint reaction here.  

🪱DOWN TO EARTH 

HISTORIC MOMENT FOR SOIL – It was a long night for EU decision makers (and some of our colleagues following it), who at 4:30 am on Thursday morning, finally came to a provisional agreement on the EU’s first-ever soil law. It is a milestone – unlike air and water, soil has never had its own dedicated legislation, and a previous attempt to secure one collapsed back in 2014. 

HOLD THE CONFETTI! Europe’s soils are in a sorry state. Decades of damage have left them eroded and unfit for vital soil life. This law should have changed that. Instead, decision-makers missed countless opportunities to create a law that would truly protect and restore Europe’s soil. What will it do? Mostly it will monitor their continued degradation… but it’s a step in the right direction. 

NEXT UP? The law will need to be rubber-stamped by the bloc, but with misinformation swirling around and an agreement to kill the law in Germany’s new coalition deal, it is unlikely to be smooth sailing. 

🫷RESISTING THE SQUEEZE 

SLAPP ME ONCE – What do the French Minister of Culture, a cosmetic surgery firm in the UK, and oil giant Energy Transfer have in common? They have all been crowned for their commitment to using abusive lawsuits to silence their critics in this year’s European SLAPP Contest!  

SLAPP ME TWICE – Hot on the heels of the scandalous verdict of Energy Transfer’s $660 million lawsuit against Greenpeace, the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) held its annual awards this week, spotlighting the powerful actors using SLAPPs (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) to stifle dissent. 

REPUTATIONAL PRISON – The awards serve as both satire and resistance – offering solidarity at a time when civic space is increasingly under threat. As David Casa, MEP and contest jury member, put it: “The reputational cost of filing SLAPP suits will help to dissuade them from being filed in the first place.”  

SORRY NOT SORRY – Sadly, none of the winners were able to join us in accepting their awards – but thankfully, several of their targets did, delivering speeches that were equally hilarious and heartbreaking. Watch them here. 

🌞ON THE BRIGHT SIDE  

DON’T STOP ME NOW – Undeterred by a recent setback at the European Court of Human Rights, four young Portuguese climate activists are launching a new lawsuit – this time against their own government in national court. Their original case was dismissed on procedural grounds, but they’re not backing down. Inspired by the landmark Klimaseniorinnen victory in Switzerland, they’re pushing forward with renewed determination and growing public support. Let’s gooo!

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By: Ruby Silk. Special thanks to the EEB’s editorial team: Alberto Vela, Ben Snelson, and Roi Gomez. Editor: Christian Skrivervik