Dubious EU funding of NGOs such as the ‘Club of Ossiach’

Priority question for written answer P-002754/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Elisabeth Dieringer (PfE)

The European Court of Auditors' special report 11/2025 on the transparency of EU funding granted to NGOs demonstrates that between 2021 and 2023, around EUR 7.4 billion was disbursed to NGOs from various EU funds. Nonetheless, there is still no reliable overall overview of the beneficiaries, projects and how the funds were used. One particularly astounding example is the EUR 128 751 in funding granted to the largely unknown association 'Club of Ossiach'. Upon further research, it seems that locals are unfamiliar with the association, which also fails to make any form of meaningful activity clear from the outside. Its online presence is unprofessional, somewhat misleading and even includes links to escort websites. There is no publicly available information on the actual work of the association and the website lacks a legal notice. The chairman refuses to provide any information.

• 1.On what basis and using what quality criteria was EU funding totalling EUR 128 751 approved for the Club of Ossiach?
• 2.As regards the award of EU funds to NGOs, what control mechanisms has the Commission put in place to make sure that beneficiary organisations genuinely are charitable, have operational capacity and are relevant in terms of their subject matter, and how does it assess their effectiveness in a specific case?
• 3.What steps is the Commission taking in order to verify the Club of Ossiach's use of funds and, if necessary, to initiate recoveries or legal consequences in the event of inappropriate use or misuse of EU funds?

Submitted: 7.7.2025