Today, the European People’s Party and the far right are raising objections to the multiannual financing of the LIFE programme in the European Parliament’s committee on environment, climate, and food safety. These objections are politically motivated attempts to undermine NGOs receiving financing under the EU LIFE programme. This represents yet another outrageous assault on civil society, aimed at silencing them and obstructing their relentless efforts to protect the environment and combat climate change.

For the S&D Group, these attacks threaten the rule of law and democratic pluralism in the EU. We firmly oppose any attempt to weaken the role of civil society organisations, as these are indispensable democratic counterbalances to corporate lobbying which is so commonplace in Brussels. We will strongly oppose these objections in today’s committee vote, and will continue to do so should they proceed to a vote in plenary.

Tiemo Wölken, S&D coordinator in the committee on environment, climate, and food safety (ENVI), said:

“The growing efforts by the EPP, allied with the far right, to challenge NGOs’ legitimacy are warning signs of democratic backsliding. At a time when human rights and environmental activists are under fire across the world, the European Parliament must not align itself with illiberal regimes that increasingly restrict the activities of NGOs. The objections tabled today by the EPP and the far right in the ENVI committee clearly show their willingness to follow Donald Trump’s dangerous footsteps in undermining democracy by weakening civil society. With the scrapping of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by the United States’ new administration, many NGOs are already facing an existential crisis—even in Europe.

“Civil society and NGOs carry out indispensable functions under the LIFE programme for the protection of the environment and the climate. This reckless political campaign by the EPP and their far right allies to gag civil society also jeopardises the important activities foreseen under the LIFE programme. The Commission has already paused parts of the programme’s implementation in anticipatory obedience to the right wing – undermining environmental protection projects all over Europe. By seeking to restrict funding for NGOs, conservatives are not only undermining their work but also questioning the crucial role civil society plays in the decision-making process, ensuring a plurality of views and amplifying citizens’ voices.

“The European Parliament must send a clear message to our citizens by rejecting these conservative objections and defending the vital role of civil society in our democratic institutions.”

Note to Editors:

On 18 March, the European Parliament’s committee on environment, public health, and food safety (ENVI) postponed the vote on two objections to the draft Commission Implementing Decision on the financing of the LIFE programme for 2025 - 2027. These objections were jointly tabled by the European People’s Party (EPP) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), with an additional objection from the Patriots for Europe (PfE).

The vote on these objections is now scheduled to take place later today in the ENVI committee. The S&D Group will oppose these objections. If adopted, the objections will proceed to a plenary vote in May.