On June 14, 2022, László Csizmadia, chairman of the board of trustees of CÖF-CÖKA, addressed the president of the European Commission in an open letter, in which he explained, among other things, that non-governmental organizations and human rights organizations have gained significant influence within the institutional system of the European Union. NGOs, organizations and associations often - and increasingly - act as political actors, they want to thematize the public discourse and influence the work of legislatures and governments. (The open letter was also described in 2022 plus .)
Instead of Ursula von der Leyen, the cabinet of Vice President Věra Jourová responded. The letter received today can be read below:
Dear László Csizmadia!
President Ursula von der Leyen thanks her for her letter of June 14, 2022, in which she shared with her the comments of the CÖF-CÖKA on the participation of non-governmental organizations in EU decision-making processes. President von der Leyen has asked me to respond to you on behalf of the Commission. In your letter, you mention different types of relationships between non-governmental organizations and EU institutions, especially the Commission, during EU decision-making processes. It also calls for improving transparency and makes specific proposals. The Commission maintains an open, transparent and regular dialogue with advocacy organizations and civil society in accordance with the Treaty on European Union and in particular Article 11 (1) and (2) thereof. It is obliged to listen to all parties potentially affected by its decision-making procedures, and to ensure the sharing of external viewpoints and expertise in every possible way.
I can assure you that the Commission listens to and takes into account all represented interests under equal conditions when developing or implementing policies or legislation, and follows the principle of equal access in its relations with interested parties, so that it can carry out its work in the most open and constructive way possible. Liaison with civil society and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is a valuable and integral part of the Commission's decision-making process. NGOs can interact directly with Commission decision-makers and participate in formal structures such as expert groups. The condition for this is that they register themselves in the transparency register established by the interinstitutional agreement of May 20, 2021 on the mandatory transparency register between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission. They must also ensure that II of the mentioned agreement the necessary information, including financial information, specified in its annex.
Regarding your assumption that the financial accountability and transparency of influential actors should be improved, the most recent reform of the transparency register has already introduced new transparency requirements for registrants representing non-commercial interests, such as NGOs. These registrants are required to disclose information about their funding sources, including, in the case of budgetary contributions exceeding the specified thresholds, the amount of all contributions received and the names of individual donors. Certain transparency requirements regarding the funding sources of advocacy activities apply to all other categories of registrants in the transparency register under equal conditions. In addition, all registrants must respect the code of conduct contained in Annex I of the inter-institutional agreement.
All of this ensures equal conditions for all interest representatives, regardless of their background and the nature of the interests they represent, by establishing safeguards against the exercise of undue or excessive influence. I would like to thank you for the constructive comments received from your foundation. At the same time, I assure you that the Commission is committed to maintaining an open and transparent dialogue with civil society organizations.
Sincerely, [electronic signature] Renate Nikolay
