A European political party is an organisation following a political programme. This party is composed of national parties and/or individuals as members, represented in several Member States and is registered with the Authority for European political parties and European political foundations (‘Authority’). As mentioned in the Treaties, "political parties at European level contribute to forming European political awareness and to expressing the will of citizens of the Union”.
The funding took the form of an operating grant until financial year 2017. From 2018, the funding takes the form of a contribution. The rules for this form of funding are specified in Title XI of the Financial Regulation. It can cover up to 90% of the reimbursable expenditure of a party, while the rest should be covered by own resources such as membership fees and donations.
Funds available for parties are budgeted on the budget line 402 of the European Parliament’s budget.
The contribution can be used to meet the expenditure directly linked to the party’s statutory objectives, that is the so-called reimbursable expenditure such as:
The contribution cannot be used, among others, to meet non-reimbursable expenditure such as:
The rules of funding are laid down by a regulation adopted by the Council and the Parliament, pursuant to Article 10 paragraph 4 of the Treaty on European Union and Article 224 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
The implementing procedures are adopted by the Bureau of the European Parliament.
In order to receive a contribution from the Parliament, a party must satisfy certain conditions:
In order to be registered by the Authority, the party must comply with the registration conditions:
You can download here the brief report on the state of play of the funding procedure).
Any party meeting the above-mentioned conditions may apply for funding for a given financial year, by sending to the Parliament by 30 September of the preceding financial year its application and an estimated budget.
Once the applications are evaluated and approved, the funds available in the Parliament’s budget are distributed among these parties according to a set scale:
This constitutes a provisional contribution amount, which is paid at the beginning of each year (pre-financing payment). The provisional contribution amount must not exceed the amount applied for in the funding application and neither 90% of the reimbursable expenditure budgeted in the estimated budget.
The final contribution amount is established after approval of annual reports of the parties by the Bureau of the European Parliament. The final contribution amount must not exceed the provisional contribution amount and 90% of the reimbursable costs actually incurred.
You can download here the list of the parties indicating their funding amounts.
The parties must declare all revenue and expenditure in their annual reports. Such annual report consists mainly of:
Technical support provided by Parliament to European political parties 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005
A European political foundation is an organisation affiliated with a European political party which underpins and complements the objectives of that party and is registered with the Authority for European political parties and European political foundations (‘Authority’). Such foundation observes, analyses and contributes to the debate on European public policy issues. It also develops activities linked to European public policy issue, for example by organising seminars, training, conferences and studies.
A European political foundation may receive funding from the European Parliament. The funding takes a form of an operating grant. The rules for this type of funding are specified in Title VIII of the Financial Regulation. This grant can cover up to 95% of the eligible expenditure of the foundation, while the rest should be covered by own resources coming from membership fees and donations.
The Parliament publishes annually here its annual work programme of grants (2019).
The grant can be used to meet the expenditure directly linked to the activities set out in the foundation's work programme, that is the so-called eligible expenditure such as:
The grant cannot be used, among others, to meet ineligible expenditure such as:
The rules of funding are laid down by a regulation adopted by the Council and the Parliament, pursuant to Article 10 paragraph 4 of the Treaty on European Union and Article 224 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.
The implementing procedures are adopted by the Bureau of the European Parliament.
The following rules apply from the procedure concerning funding of financial year 2019 onwards:
In order to receive a grant from the Parliament, a foundation must satisfy certain conditions:
You can download the brief report on the state of play of the funding procedure.
Any foundation meeting the above-mentioned conditions may apply for funding for a given financial year, by sending to the Parliament by 30 September of the preceding financial year its application, an estimated budget and its work programme.
Once the applications are evaluated and approved, the funds are distributed among these foundations according to a set scale:
This constitutes a provisional grant amount, which is paid in principle by the end of the first quarter of each year (pre-financing payment). The provisional grant amount must not exceed the amount applied for in the funding application and neither 95% of the reimbursable expenditure budgeted in the estimated budget.
The final grant amount is established the following year after approval of the foundations’ annual reports by the Bureau of the European Parliament. The final grant amount must not exceed the provisional contribution amount.
You can download here the list of the foundations indicating their grant amounts.
The foundations must declare all revenue and expenditure in their annual reports. Such annual report consists mainly of:
The foundations’ audit reports and donations can be consulted here.
You will find here the audit reports including the financial statements as well as the donations of the parties and foundations, as submitted annually to the European Parliament by the parties and foundations.
The funding amounts, as shown in these reports, cannot be considered as final in all cases. They might differ from the ones actually awarded and paid by the European Parliament because the audit report is issued before the decision on final funding amount is approved by the Parliament.
Please also note that as from 2018 funding, the transparency requirements change pursuant to Article 32 of the Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014. Most of these requirements are applicable only after the control of annual reports in 2019.
Publication by the European Parliament pursuant to Article 32(2) (concerns funding from 2018 onwards): the list of legal persons who are members of a European political party, as annexed to the party statutes in accordance with Article 4(2) and updated in accordance with Article 9(6), as well as the total number of individual members.
As of 1. January 2017 a new system of registration applies to European Political Parties and European Political Foundations.
Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations ('Regulation No 1141/2014') sets out the new rules to be followed and establishes an Authority for European Political Parties and European Political Foundations (the 'Authority').
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32014R1141
The Authority has been set up for the purpose of registering, controlling and imposing sanctions on European Political Parties and European Political Foundations pursuant to Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014.
The Authority’s website can be accessed under: http://www.appf.europa.eu.
