In a written answer on 4 August 2026, Commissioner Serafin, on behalf of the European Commission, defended the transparency of EU funding for the German-Austrian Digital Media Observatory (GADMO), pointing to detailed project information on the Funding and Tenders Portal and announcing future improvements to the Financial Transparency System (FTS). The answer responds to a parliamentary question from MEPs Mary Khan, Irmhild Boßdorf, Christine Anderson (all ESN), and Harald Vilimsky, Petra Steger, Elisabeth Dieringer (all PfE), who had questioned how over EUR 2.7 million in EU funds for GADMO were spent, why final beneficiaries were not publicly listed, and why no conservative or EU-critical organisations were part of the network.
The Commission clarified that the EU contribution amounts to EUR 1,502,671.00 for the GADMO project and EUR 1,299,303.14 for GADMO 2.0, with the remainder covered by co-financing. It directed members to the F&T Portal for detailed objectives and actions, and attached an extract from the FTS listing recipients, funding subjects, project dates, and amounts. On transparency, the Commission acknowledged current FTS limitations—data on recipients is not disclosed for contracts below EUR 15,000 or where disclosure could threaten rights, freedoms, or commercial interests—but pledged to expand publication requirements through the Single Gateway, extending them to indirect and shared management programmes under the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework, subject to the Financial Regulation.
Addressing the composition of GADMO, the Commission stressed that EDMO hubs were established through open calls for proposals, with consortia formed independently by organisations and institutions. The Commission played no role in determining consortium composition or selecting partners; independent experts selected awarded proposals based on the calls' award criteria. This answer reiterates the Commission's position that funding decisions are merit-based and independent, while acknowledging the need for greater transparency in the future.
The answer contains concrete figures and a clear commitment to expand FTS coverage, but stops short of immediate changes to current disclosure rules. The Commission's response signals a continued reliance on existing transparency tools, with improvements deferred to the next multiannual financial framework. The question reflects ongoing scrutiny from EU-critical MEPs over the political balance of EU-funded disinformation research, a debate likely to continue as the Single Gateway is implemented.