Latvia debates equal standards for NGO funding

Latvia has renewed its debate over state funding for non-governmental organisations after Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs criticised payments to groups that represent members’ interests and attend meetings with public officials, LSM reported. The discussion has raised questions about whether all NGOs should face the same requirements for measurable results and cost efficiency.

About 200 people gathered near the Freedom Monument in midsummer to protest the government’s plan to review NGO funding and to express support for civil society. The protest followed Kulbergs’ remarks in July that he was surprised the state paid NGOs for taking part in meetings with government officials.

However, the Ministry of Agriculture has for years paid farmers’ organisations for their involvement in policymaking. The largest recipient of state funding is the Council for Cooperation of Agricultural Organisations, known as LOSP. Several of its member organisations also receive separate funding.

The Auto Association, which was previously led by Kulbergs, once carried out a project that received almost 500,000 euros from the European Union. Its objectives were measurable, but no comprehensive public summary of the results achieved could be found, according to the report.

The State Audit Office previously described the farmers’ organisations as a “closed club”. Criteria introduced after an audit changed the composition of the organisations only slightly, while LOSP has referred to longstanding practice.

The need to improve the NGO sector is not disputed. The report said that clear returns were also difficult to determine in projects overseen by the current prime minister. Kulbergs acknowledged that not all NGOs could be assessed according to a single standard.

The Ombudsman has called for clearer criteria governing support for NGOs.