EU to increase monitoring of Muslim Brotherhood financial flows

The European Parliament has called upon the European Commission to bolster its surveillance of financial transactions directed towards the Muslim Brotherhood within the European Union. This 10-page resolution urges the Commission to compile a thorough examination of all EU funds allocated to entities suspected of having ties with the Muslim Brotherhood.

The resolution demands that the overview detail crucial information, such as the amounts received and the reasons behind the awarding of such funds, including instances of inadequate oversight. Examples mentioned include organizations like Femyso, the European Network Against Racism, Al Sharq Forum, Islamic Relief Worldwide, and the University of Gaziantep, which have allegedly received EU funding in sensitive domains like youth affairs, anti-discrimination, education, culture, research, humanitarian aid, and intercultural dialogue, despite raising concerns about their ideological, institutional, or financial connections to networks associated with the Muslim Brotherhood or political Islam.

The Parliament emphasizes the need for the Commission to ensure complete traceability of funding, encompassing sub-grants, financial intermediaries, implementing partners, and ultimate recipients. MEP Tomas Zdechovsky, the EPP spokesman for budgetary control, stressed that it is imperative to know who receives EU funds, the amount, and through which programs, as well as to monitor every euro, identify risks, and halt funding where the rules are not adhered to.

Although resolutions lack legal binding, they serve as a reflection of the prevailing political climate on the continent. The Commission has three months to respond to the Parliament's demands, though it is not obligated to convert these into legislative proposals.