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When a so-called “green lobby scandal” began making headlines in early 2025, it came as no surprise that a politician from the centre-right EPP played a central role in it: Monika Hohlmeier from Germany.
By then, the conservative wing of the largest party in the European Parliament had been turning its back on the Green Deal for some time. And now, Hohlmeier and her partner-in-crime Dirk Gotink of the Dutch NSC party (part of the EPP family), claimed to have seen several “secret” contracts showing that environmental NGOs funded under the EU LIFE Program had supposedly lobbied MEPs to promote green – allegedly under direct orders from the European Commission.
For Hohlmeier, this was the perfect excuse to try to get rid of EU funding for NGOs. She tabled a series of amendments pushing for an EU NGO regulation, the cancellation of LIFE contracts, and even the “repayment of EU funds” by”‘activist networks” lobbying against the Mercosur trade agreement.
Bavarian surprise
Unsurprisingly, this raised the alarm among many civil society organisations. Cuts to the LIFE Program would significantly reduce the influence these groups can exert on EU lawmaking.
But in an unexpected turn of events, one contract has surfaced showing that the Bavarian agricultural trading giant BayWa had also received millions of euros from the Commission – under the very same LIFE Program. And on its supervisory board? Monika Hohlmeier – with a yearly allowance of 75.000 euros (plus expenses).
Turning the tables
So, what exactly happened?
First of all: yes, contracts between beneficiaries of the LIFE Fund and the Commission do exist, and yes, they are confidential. However, the Budgetary Control Committee (CONT) of the European Parliament can request these for review – on the condition that they are kept confidential.
That’s precisely what didn’t happen in this case. The confidential contracts on which Hohlmeier and Gotink built their entire case were never shared with CONT but were instead leaked to the press.
After lengthy discussions, the agitated committee agreed to request 28 additional contracts from the Commission for review. Why, after all, single out environmental groups for transparency? Among the requested contracts were those of Volkswagen, BusinessEurope, Shell and BayWa – Hohlmeier’s side job, receiving ten times more from the LIFE Program than the maximum amount any of the environmental groups receive.
Follow the Money was able to review and compare the contracts of one of the EU’s biggest environmental groupings and that of BayWa. We found very similar wording in both agreements.
While the NGO suggested in its work plan that it would try to influence “a significant share” of members of Parliament to get them to favour “votes that progress EGD [European Green Deal] files” – BayWa’s contract stated the company would “raise awareness among policymakers” on “restrictive regulations” that would “hinder” its commercial goals.
Have their cake and eat it
These similarities put Hohlmeier in an awkward position, says Nick Aiossa of Transparency International: “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.”
Hohlmeier’s office did not respond to several requests for clarification by Follow the Money.
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