New Study: €12.8 Million in Public Funding Raises Questions About EU Lobbying Transparency

Research identifies nine publicly funded advocacy organisations and 110 individuals accredited to access European Parliament premises.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, October 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new study by Hungary's Free Market Foundation has identified approximately €12.8 million in annual public funding received by nine organisations engaged in EU policy advocacy, raising questions about transparency, accountability and the influence of taxpayer-funded organisations on European policymaking.

The report, How Public Funds Support Advocacy Campaigns in Brussels: The Twelve Million Dollar Circular Lobbying Question, examines what its authors describe as "circular lobbying" — a situation in which organisations receive government funding while advocating for policies before the same public institutions.

According to the study, approximately €12.41 million, representing 96.8% of the identified funding, originated from the European Commission, while €404,068 came from national governments. The researchers also identified 110 individuals associated with the organisations who held accreditation for access to European Parliament premises.

The research examines organisations active in environmental, consumer, food and public health policy, including the European Environmental Bureau, Climate Action Network Europe, SAFE Food Advocacy Europe and Slow Food Europe.
One notable finding concerns SAFE Food Advocacy Europe, which the report estimates receives 87.4% of its budget from public sources and which the researchers say warrants scrutiny given its lobbying on legislation. Nicotine policy is another example. The Smoke Free Partnership, which received €100,000 from the Commission in 2025, campaigns against vaping flavours, echoing the Commission's own push for flavour bans.

The study does not establish that receiving public funding or conducting advocacy is unlawful. Instead, it questions whether existing disclosure requirements adequately inform taxpayers about the relationship between public grants and policy advocacy.

The Free Market Foundation recommends stronger financial disclosure requirements, more accessible information in the EU Transparency Register, improved reporting of public grants and greater incentives for private and individual support of civil society organisations.

The findings contribute to an ongoing European debate about transparency, democratic accountability and the appropriate role of publicly funded organisations in policymaking.

Read the full study: https://szabadpiac.org/2026/09/28/how-public-funds-support-advocacy-campaigns-in-brussels//

About the Free Market Foundation
The Free Market Foundation (Szabad Piac Alapítvány) is a Hungary-based organisation publishing research and commentary on economic freedom, public policy and civil society.
For further inquiry, contact Máté Hajba at szpalapitvany@gmail.com

Máté Hajba
Free Market Foundation (Szabad Piac Alapítvány)