Blomeyer & Sanz has been awarded a new European Parliament study commissioned by the Committee on Budgetary Control to carry out a research project examining the extent to which, if any, EU funds are used to support lobbying and advocacy activities across the European Union.

Recognising lobbying as an important part of democratic participation, the study will provide both a regulatory overview and a quantitative analysis of how different EU funding programmes may have contributed to financing advocacy and lobbying-related activities under the 2021–2027 Multiannual Financial Framework.

Building on previous experience and having delivered other studies on similar issues, including Financing of Non-governmental Organisations from the EU budget (2010), Democratic accountability and budgetary control of non-governmental organisations funded by the EU budget (2016), and its update (2019), or The Financial Transparency System – How to improve its functioning and reliability (2024), the research for this study will explore a broad range of EU funding instruments, including grants, public contracts, and financial instruments, under both direct and shared management. It will also analyse different types of beneficiaries receiving EU funding. The study aims to contribute to ongoing discussions on transparency, accountability, and the thorough management of EU funds.