Commissioner Michael McGrath has defended the transparency and legality of grant allocations under the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme, in response to a parliamentary question from French MEP Catherine Griset (Patriots for Europe) alleging that French Minister Benjamin Haddad lobbied to restore funding for federalist think tanks that had lost out in the 2025 call for proposals.
McGrath, in a written answer on 16 July 2026, stressed that project selections were carried out in full compliance with the Financial Regulation, with proposals evaluated against pre-announced criteria including quality and relevance. He noted that operating grants are awarded to bodies pursuing an aim of general EU interest, and that any legal entity active in the field may submit a proposal. The answer did not confirm or deny any specific action by Haddad, but reiterated that the process is transparent and based on equal treatment.
Griset had asked whether the Commission was aware of Haddad convening institutes such as the Jacques Delors Institute, Robert Schuman Foundation, European Council for International Relations and EuropaNova on 21 April 2026 to strategise restoring grants worth around EUR 7.8 million over 2026-2028. She also questioned whether the CERV programme is intended to avoid indefinite funding to the same federalist institutes, and whether sovereigntist or conservative institutes receive subsidies.
McGrath’s answer provided no concrete commitments or timeline for reviewing the programme’s funding patterns, instead describing the general legal framework. The response signals that the Commission sees no irregularity and will not intervene in individual grant decisions, leaving the matter to the standard evaluation process. Institutional follow-up is unlikely unless further evidence of improper lobbying emerges.