European Commission wants to force NGOs to disclose funding
A transparency register to be adopted by the European Commission is to show whether non-governmental organisations such as business associations, public relations agencies and media channels are funded by states from outside the European Union, reports German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
European Commission vice-president Vera Jourova explained the decision to the German newspaper on the grounds that money flows from non-EU countries could influence public opinion. According to her, it is time to expose foreign influence and dubious funding from authoritarian regimes, such as those in Russia, China or the Middle East, which could affect society's perception or political decisions.
"Looking at the activities of the Kremlin and other actors in third countries, we should not be naive. It's time to bring to light foreign covert influence and dubious financing," said Vera Jourova.
The move to increase transparency of funding comes after a corruption scandal that became public late last year over alleged influence on European Parliament decisions by Qatari and Moroccan governments, Agerpres reports.
