Carl Deconinck
Left-wing organisations are trying to push back against MEPs who have been critical of lavish and secretive subsidies funnelled to green NGOs, but in doing so the Left allegedly used “incorrect information” in their attacks.
German MEP Monika Hohlmeier, a member of the European People’s Party (EPP), led efforts to expose allegedly secret contracts between the European Commission and various NGOs.
Subsequently she came under fire with claims made by the Left that she sat on the board of agribusiness company BayWa, which has received millions from Brussels.
However, contrary to her critics’ claims, Hohlmeier had no direct connection to the receipt of European funds and there were two separate entities, BayWa AG and BayWa r.e.
“I am a member of the supervisory board of BayWa AG but not of BayWa r.e. BayWa r.e. is a separate and independent company with a distinct legal structure, its own management board, as well as an own supervisory board and operational scopes,” Hohlmeier told Brussels Signal on March 28.
BayWa AG is a global trading company in agriculture, energy, and construction, while BayWa r.e. is its subsidiary focused solely on renewable energy solutions like solar and wind. It was the latter which received EU support.
“Unfortunately, the Corporate Europe Observatory (which is partially funded by the Left Group of the EP) provided incorrect information to journalists and to the public some months ago.”
“The information on my membership on the supervisory board of BayWa AG was always publicly available and clearly documented — as required by transparency rules that I fully comply with. BayWa is a shareholder of BayWa r.e. and owns 51 per cent of BayWA r.e.,” she said.
“Furthermore, members of supervisory boards are not involved in day-to-day business and consequently I was never involved in executive tasks or decisions on projects,” Hohlmeier added.
“To be clear, BayWa r.e. has to follow the same requirements as all other entities do.”
It was BayWa r.e, with its “green” focus, that had received two grants, one for LIFE Adaptation with Photovoltaics and a second one for Land use efficient, agriculturally sound large-scale photovoltaics.
They appeared to be standard grants in support of desired green policies and did not show a “pro-agricultural” influencing operation.
It was BayWa r.e. that received €6,500,000 in grants in November 2024 from the LIFE programme, not the mother company.
Adding to this, Hohlmeier’s assistant told Brussels Signal that the employee of the NGO Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), who provided allegedly incorrect information to journalists, was a former staff member of the Green Group in the European Parliament.
Progressives in the EP and the CEO responded to the controversy over the alleged secret contracts between the EC and green NGOs by claiming the EC also funnelled millions in taxpayer money to companies for influence.
Secret contracts between the European Commission and “green” NGOs were reportedly part of an alleged “shadow lobbying scheme”, according to a Dutch newspaper. https://t.co/cAWxagk9TA
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) January 23, 2025
CEO described itself as a research and campaign group focused on exposing and challenging the influence of corporate lobbying on EU policy-making. Its website showed it had received money from Left and hard-left groups such as the Isvara Foundation, Oxfam Novib, the Open Society Foundation, Greenpeace and the Left Group in the EP.
CEO claimed that it found “a glaring conflict of interest involving Member of European Parliament Monika Hohlmeier”, which was sent out to certain journalists.
It accused her of working in the interests of Baywa AG, Germany’s largest agricultural trader, implying the Christian Democratic Union illegitimately attacked green policies on its behalf.
The Corporate Europe Observatory urged MEPs to remove Hohlmeier as a rapporteur.
“Backed by the EPP and ECR political groups, Hohlmeier has for long publicly championed calls to curtail EU funding to environmental NGOs, denouncing the use of ‘public money for lobbying and advocacy’, in particular from the LIFE programme set up by the Commission to support environmental and climate action,” the NGO said.
“Yet, she herself receives €75,000 annually from BayWa, a German corporation that has benefited from €6.5 million under the LIFE Programme — the very fund under review,” it alleged.
It questioned whether EU funds supported the same practices Hohlmeier criticised in environmental groups.
“A conflict of interest like this raises serious ethical questions,” said Kenneth Haar, CEO researcher and campaigner. He added that it was what he called “a textbook example of hypocrisy and a direct attack on democratic accountability”.
Green MEP Daniel Freund included this this during a debate on shadow funds for green NGO’s on January 22 in the plenary. He challenged Hohlmeier, citing the now-debunked research from CEO and also accused her of hypocrisy.
Nick Aiossa, of Transparency International, told Follow the Money on March 24: “Either the argument goes that the European Commission is paying beneficiaries to lobby on their behalf, or they’re not.
“You can’t have it both ways.”
On March 28, Holmeier pushed back, telling Brussels Signal: “The budgetary control committee of the European Parliament has always advocated for transparency and traceability of EU funds, and this should be applied to all beneficiaries, whether it be NGOs or other entities.
“This applies to agriculture, cohesion, research and innovation funds and all other funds. Basic principles and rules of the financial regulation apply to all EU funds. It is ironic that some of those that are always advocating for transparency are now against transparency in this particular case.
“Transparency, accountability, and the responsible use of EU taxpayers’ money and the fair distribution of EU funds remain at the core of my work in the European Parliament,” she said.
European Union taxpayers’ money has been used to fund fringe groups actively lobbying against EU policies. https://t.co/29dDpY66h5
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) February 12, 2025