On Tuesday, Parliament and Council negotiators agreed on revised rules for the statute and funding of European political parties and foundations. The new rules for European political parties and foundations will boost transparency, cut red tape, and equip them to fight foreign interference more effectively This way, they can keep contributing “to forming European political awareness and to expressing the will of citizens of the Union” while operating in an increasingly complex landscape.
Preventing foreign interference and promoting transparency
According to the agreed text, associated member parties and foundations from neighbouring or candidate countries will continue to participate in the work of their pan-European umbrella organisations, as this cooperation is key in promoting European values and maintaining cross-border dialogue. However, their votes can never be used to secure a majority and they cannot pay membership fees.
To increase transparency, co-legislators agreed on a simplified due-diligence mechanism that obliges parties to collect full ID data for donors above €3 000. A common online repository managed by the Authority for European Political Parties and Foundations will publish real-time data on donations and contributions.
Provisions for European values
To be formally recognised and be granted funding, European political parties and foundations will have to submit a declaration that member parties or organisations from outside the EU subscribe to values aligning with Article 2 TEU. This will be reviewed if their membership changes. They also must adopt internal rules promoting gender balance, implement anti-harassment protocols, and produce annual reports on representation gaps.
While maintaining the ban on the direct or indirect funding of national parties and candidates by European political parties and foundations, the new rules provide additional clarity on how European political parties can publicly support and engage with their member parties and organisations, including through joint activities, ending years of legal uncertainty for cross-border collaborations.
Long-term financial stability for Europe’s cross-border political organisations
The co-financing rate (i.e. the percentage of their budget that can be financed by the EU) has been harmonised at 95%, a five-point increase. Furthermore, self-generated resources (e.g. conference fees and publication sales) have been introduced as a new category of income, capped at 3% for parties and 5% for foundations, giving them some room to diversify revenues without jeopardising oversight.
Cognisant of the challenges specific to European political foundations, the EU institutions have committed to revisit conditions related to their financing, on the earliest possible opportunity under applicable rules.
Source: European Parliament
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