News
NGOs: The time for accountability has come
"The transparency and accountability of NGOs have long been sensitive topics for this Commission and very crucial for our Identity and Democracy Group.
In 2019, the European Court of Auditors slammed the Berlaymont for its absolute opacity regarding funds destined for NGOs. It was a warning to which the European leadership offered half-hearted responses, postponing the provision of lists of organizations to the ECA until two years later.
More recent is the Qatargate affair, which embarrassed the entire European Parliament and endangered its institutional prestige by unveiling a system of ad hoc calls for tenders and corruption aimed at transferring resources to an NGO.
It is usual in Brussels to demand a lot from European citizens, imposing on them measures and costs that are more often than not unreasonable, but when it comes to ensuring transparency on how taxpayers' resources are used, the first ones to set a bad example so far have been the Eurobureaucrats themselves.
The dangers of EU-China relationship
"We cannot deny the importance of maintaining strong relations with China, but we should keep in mind how important it is to be assertive towards Beijing.
Less bureaucracy for stronger business
"The EU’s blind ideology, with its unrelenting increase of laws and demands, is drastically reducing the possibilities for European enterprises to be on a par with foreign companies, free from such regulatory burdens. I'm not referring only to Chinese subsidised companies, but also to the US or Canadian markets.