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Joint letter to EU Commission President on enabling civil society engagement to strengthen democracy and support the European project

In light of questions raised in the European Parliament’s Budgetary Control (CONT) Committee on EU funding of civil society, HEAL and over 30 NGOs stress  that civil society engagement is not only essential for Europe’s future and a strong public participation and the resilience of European democracy, but is also a legal requirement under the Treaties and the Aarhus Convention.  

The joint NGO letter to EU Commission President von der Leyen highlights: 

Civil Society: The Backbone of European Democracy 

Civil society organisations are essential for bridging the gap between EU policymakers and citizens, safeguarding transparency, nurturing trust, and driving solutions to urgent challenges. Their active involvement is critical to maintaining the EU’s democratic legitimacy and its connection to the very people the EU serves. 

Unlike actors with more resources, for example multinational corporations, and business associations, European citizens and their civil society organisations do not have the means to be present in public dialogue at the European level. That is why the EU has been trying to level the playing field, at least to some degree, by supporting the access to and involvement in the decision-making process by non-governmental and civil society organisations (NGOs), by offering operating grants through the LIFE programme for example, and by making EU-funded projects accessible for them. 

LIFE Programme: Empowering Civil Society and Advancing EU Goals 

The LIFE programme explicitly prioritises the involvement of civil society in implementing and enforcing EU environmental and other policies. It has a long and successful history of supporting bottom-up projects that have helped NGOs work with a range of stakeholders and make their voices heard, for example researchers and academia, businesses, farmers, local communities and others. 

The LIFE Programme represents less than 0.3% of the EU’s budget, consists of money for operating grants and money for projects. Operating grants for environmental NGOs and civil society organisations amount to EUR 15.6 million per year, or 0.006% of the EU budget.  

This small part of overall EU spending delivers outsized benefits to society by advancing pollution reduction, climate action, sustainable farming, nature restoration, and improved air and water quality. Its operating grants to civil society organisations amplify citizen engagement and ensure effective policy implementation, making it a strategic tool for achieving the EU’s environmental goals while strengthening public trust in the European project. 

European Commission political guidelines’ commit to step up engagement with civil society  

The civil society organisations welcome the 2024-2029 European Commission Political Guidelines “to step up [the European Union]’s engagement with civil society organisations that have expertise and an important role to play in defending specific societal issues and upholding human rights [and to] ensure civil society is better protected in its work”. The letter highlights how they are ready to mobilise our networks to advance the EU’s strategic priorities, including the transition to a carbon-neutral, zero-pollution Europe with healthy ecosystems, a Just Transition, respect of human rights and good governance that supports people’s health and wellbeing. 

The full letter can be found here.

Notes: Transparency of NGOs receiving LIFE operating grant 

Civil society organisation’s engagement in the development of EU policies therefore follows the highest standards of transparency and accountability: 

  • Operating grants are awarded following a competitive, thorough and independent process of evaluation, against the objectives and criteria set in the LIFE Regulation, the Financial regulation and the relevant call for proposals. 
  • Recipients continuously seek to ensure the most cost-effective use of public funds and to attract additional funding to get ever greater added-value from EU funding. 
  • Recipients are bound by principles of accountability in the use of EU funding – they duly engage in monitoring, reporting, and audit practices to demonstrate transparent use of public funds. 
  • Non-profit civil society organisations are audited every year by external auditors and receive regular monitoring visits and additional external audits to ensure compliance and transparency. 
  • All recipients are part of the Transparency Register and ensure information about their work and activities, the sources of their funding and other relevant information is publicly available on their websites. 

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