site.btaEU Council: New Rules to Improve Transparency of Funding and Counter Foreign Interference on European Political Parties and Foundations

The European Council announced on Monday it had adopted legislative changes to the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations, introducing a ban on receiving membership fees or other financial contributions from parties and organizations outside the EU.

The amended rules retain the possibility for parties to maintain cooperation with foreign political partners beyond the borders of the EU and introduce new safeguards to ensure that members of European parties are not under restrictive measures. European parties and political foundations will have to submit a written declaration of their compliance and their members’ compliance with EU values. The new rules limit the risk of foreign interference by applying limitations for the newly created categories of "associated member parties" and "associated member organizations," the statement said.

The Council of the EU explains that the changes aim to increase transparency and improve the ability to counter foreign interference and manipulation. The amendments maintain the prohibition on parties and political foundations financing national referendum campaigns.

The new rules will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union in the coming days and are expected to enter into force by the end of the year.