Report reveals that European Union spends millions to influence public discourse and discredit critical opinions

The European Union (E.U.) allocates millions of dollars for propaganda to influence public discourse and promote the organization's agenda. In addition, resources are also used to attack governments that are critical of the E.U.

This was shown in a report entitled “The E.U.’s Propaganda Machine: Funding NGOs to Promote E.U. Values,” which was published by MCC Brussels.

It also detailed that there are significant transparency gaps in the allocation and monitoring of EU funds. This, the report highlighted, raises concerns about the misuse of public money for political purposes rather than meeting genuine civic needs.

"It is often difficult to track the detailed allocation of funds, especially those that are reallocated through sub-granting or sub-contracting," the report explained.

According to the investigation, 250 million euros (roughly $261 million) were earmarked for the pro-E.U. European news channel Euronews. In addition, 270,000 euros ($282,000) were sent over 10 years to several NGOs and research centers in Romania, Bulgaria and Italy (including the Romanian chapter of the U.S. non-profit Freedom House) for a project entitled "Whos and Hows: Countering Disinformation that Pushes Citizens Away from the European Project."

Another 250 million euros went to the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS), a think tank that consistently advocates for further E.U. integration.

Similarly, the report explained that the European Commission allocated more than 45 billion euros ($47 billion) to "Resilience and Values" with a staggering 1.8 billion euros ($1.88 billion) specifically earmarked for "Rights and Values." The majority of this, 1.5 billion euros ($1.57 billion), went to the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme. For 2025, 236 million euros ($246 million) were allocated to the CERV program.

"The Commission funnels substantial funding to NGOs and think tanks that are explicitly aligned with its vision of deeper European integration. These organizations, financially dependent on the EU, act as conduits for promoting the Commission’s agenda. The European Commission channels substantial funding to NGOs and think tanks to advocate for its policies, blurring the lines between independent civil society and institutional propaganda," the report noted.

"The Ökotárs Foundation in Hungary, which received a €3.3 million grant from the E.U., has been involved in disputes with the Orbán government, accused of being a 'local distribution cent[er]' of foreign influence," the report said.