Activities of Ryszard CZARNECKI related to 2023/2122(INI)
Plenary speeches (1)
Transparency and accountability of non-governmental organisations funded from the EU budget (debate)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on the transparency and accountability of non-governmental organisations funded from the EU budget
Amendments (12)
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the vital role played by NGOs in linking civil society with political decision-making in all EU policy areas, in particular by keeping decision-makers informed about the interests and aspirations emerging in society and by promoting and supporting active and responsible citizenship; highlights, in particular, their role in implementing the EU budget and representing civil society;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Underlines that areas of social policy, environmental policy and development assistance may require public support beyond private donations;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Recognises the important role that NGOs play as a cornerstonevital element of society in Europe in providing much needed support to communities in various areas, including in social support, education, charity work, integration work, in providing health support for elderly and disabled people, in cultural fields, in cleaning, protecting and restoring the environment, in research and innovation and in many others;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Commends the crucialimportant role ofthat NGOs in the EU and elsewhere in defending the rule of law and promotingplay in third countries in promoting democratic values and respect for human rights and democracy; reiterates that in countries with authoritarian or non- democratic regimes, NGOs oftenmay represent the last line of defence of democracy; insists on the importance of access to adequate EU funding for NGOs active in these fields;
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Is of the opinion that the alleged corruption case referred to as Qatargate and the role certain NGOs played in it, which aroused clear public discontent with the activities of NGOs, could have been prevented through the consistent enforcement of existing transparency requirements and an obligation for NGOs to disclose their sources of funding and their internal structures; notes with concern that the relevant NGOs have profited from EU funding since 2015; considers it unacceptable that the use of funds and transfers to other organisations are not entirely traceable; warns of the danger that EU taxpayers’ money could ultimately be used within corrupt circles; emphasises the importance of ‘final beneficiary transparency’ for EU NGO funds;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Reiterates the call for a common definition of an NGO made in the recommendations from the 2021 Commission discharge resolution13; calls for a commonsuitable definition of an NGO at EU level, in particular for NGOs receiving EU funding based on clear, measurable and transparent criteria, in particular for NGOs receiving EU funding, which will enable NGOs to be easily and unequivocally identified and better regulated and the rules on their funding and use to be enforced; is of the opinion that this definition should provide minimum common conditions for defining an NGO; considers that such minimum conditions must include the form of an organisation, the objectives it pursues, its level of formal or institutional existence, the accountability of its structures to its members or donors, its level of independence from government, other public authorities, political parties or commercial organisations, and the commercial or professional objectives it pursues on behalf of its members; indicates that, in view of the suggested differentiation and simplification of control, reporting and procedural requirements for small NGOs, it may be necessary to draw a distinction and adopt a separate definition that would encompass the criteria that must be met for an organisation to be classified as small; _________________ 13 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2023)0137.
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Is concerned about cases of fraud and irregularities, notably in situations where NGOs that are members of different international networks or platforms that receive EU funding are at risk of conflicts of interest, double funding, corruption or money laundering, and in particular where they are involved in such violations; stresses that, in order to prevent fraud, intensify the fight against violations such as corruption, fraud and embezzlement, and better safeguard EU funds, the requirements for transparency and public accountability applicable to NGOs must be strengthened; is concerned about the lack of publicly available data on the fraud cases involving NGOs; calls on the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) to compile and provide such data to Parliament and the ECA and to draw up a list of NGOs that have broken the law;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
Paragraph 17
17. Is concerned that public transparency requirements can be circumvented, especially when money is passed along a chain, under indirect management by intermediary institutions, and used to fulfil the purposes of other donors; highlights that the FTS does not provide any information about how EU funding sub-granted under indirect and shared management is distributed among NGOs, on what basis or for what purpose; considers this highly problematic, as large amounts of funding are committed through indirect and shared management; calls on the Commission to verify the re-allocation of funds and their use by the final beneficiary by imposing appropriate reporting and publ, publication and final beneficiary indication and identification requirements in line with annual reporting by the Member States and the Commission on the implementation of the European structural and investment funds;
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Regrets that a lack of transparency makes it possible for powerful actors to establish, fund and/or co-opt EU-funded NGOs in multiple Member States to promote false narratives, including through disinformation, apparently in order to influence EU policy through different actors, as happened in Qatargate; notes with concern that countries outside the EU are illegally trying to influence or are influencing Europe through their funding of NGOs and calls for solutions to prevent this; underlines that the EU budget must not be used to lobby against the EU’s democratic principles and values; calls for foreign interference in EU policies through the funding of NGOs to be combated; reiterates that foreign influence on EU policymaking may be possible through NGOs; points out that both state and civil society actors have repeatedly called attention to attempts by third countries to influence EU decision- makers, policies and institutions, which must be countered; calls on the Commission to require NGOs in receipt of EU grants to publish details of any funding received from other sources in relation to projects co-financed by the EU over a five- year period14; _________________ 14 See: transparency and accountability study, recommendation 2.
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
Paragraph 20
20. Recalls that certain organisations that engage in illegal activities and act against the EU’s values have been registered and are operating in Member States; believes that national administrations, which are closer to the ground, must assume responsibility for beingstrengthen their efforts to detect, eliminate and prevent such practices, as they are the first effective layer that could stop organisations that are acting illegally and against EU rules;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
Paragraph 21
21. Calls on national authorities to take legal and administrative measures thatreview their national systems and, if they find that they can be improved and made more robust, to take steps to facilitate action at EU level and make it easier and quicker for the Commission to include such organisations in the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) and exclude them from EU funding; calls for such a requirement for Member States to be included in the proposal for an NGO regulation;
Amendment 277 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 40
Paragraph 40
40. Reiterates its call made in the 2021 Commission discharge resolution23 to adopt an NGO regulation by 1 June 2024 that includes harmonised minimum requirements for NGOs across all EU entities and a clear definition and categorisation of the fields of activity and size of NGOs and that provides for the necessary conditions for NGOs to receive EU funds; insists that there should be a clear distinction between regular NGOs and ‘public utility NGOs’; calls on the Commission to establish simplified procedures for suitably defined small NGOs; _________________ 23 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2023)0137, paragraph 20.