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Thanks to millions in public money, executives at InnoEnergy took home substantial bonuses. The clean technology investor previously denied a direct money flow, but Follow the Money can reveal that their "long-term incentive plan" is indirectly made possible by EU funds.
"It's the support industry for the world's worst people." In a recent podcast, journalist @oliverbullough.bsky.social explained how money laundering works – and why dirty money keeps flowing despite international efforts to stop it. 🔗 Full episode: www.ftm.eu/articles/pod...
Today's Secrecy Tracker newsletter covers our joint call for transparency with 15 other press and media organisations. We also look at withheld EU-funded Gaza project documents, judges' financial interests, and data centre secrecy, and share a free guide to requesting information across Europe.
This week in Bureau Brussels: - The Netherlands could backtrack on promises it made to secure EU funding - US private equity giant KKR could face a $195 million fine for allegedly misleading the Commission - A new era of robot-assisted transparency requests and responses could be on the horizon
The Russian space programme is a shadow of what it was in the Soviet era. But that doesn't make it any less dangerous, experts warn, as Russia still manages to launch weapons into space. And this certainly leaves Europe vulnerable.
An online shop selling drugs similar to ecstasy, but legal? In this week's podcast, journalist @nikkibrands.bsky.social explained how slight changes to the chemical structure of 'designer drugs' create a legal grey area. 🔗 Latest episode: www.ftm.eu/articles/pod...
The EPP paid two consultants close to Greece's ruling party over €570,000 in six months. Insiders questioned their value, and Parliament refused to cover the full bill. Now, EU prosecutors are investigating, putting the party and its leader, Manfred Weber, under fresh pressure.
In five years, we've made a few enemies in Brussels. With our readers behind us, we'll keep making more. Our members fund a third of our work. Help us keep digging for the next five years. 🔗🎈*Join today and get two free welcome gifts!: www.ftm.eu/subscribe *T&C's apply.
It threatens forests, waterways, and traditional communities, critics say. The project? A soybean port in the Amazon that US food giant Cargill wants to build. A Brazilian judge has halted those plans. It's a major setback for the company, but the battle over the Amazon is far from over …
The Follow the Money website and app are currently unavailable due to a major security issue in the PHP programming language. Many websites use PHP, and so do we. We're doing our best to resolve the issue – and apologise for the inconvenience.
In this month's Off the Books newsletter: - The alleged mastermind behind a major VAT fraud case faces court in Riga - Washington and Brussels turn up the heat on financial crime - How simplification without safeguards opens the door to tax evasion Written by FTM's @salsabilfayed.bsky.social
How can finance checks designed to prevent terrorism end up harming ordinary people? In our latest podcast, journalist and author @oliverbullough.bsky.social unpacked how the global anti-money laundering system falls short. 🔗 Latest episode: www.ftm.eu/articles/pod...
This week in Bureau Brussels: - After years of struggling to access information, our new guide for journalists offers a glimpse of hope - More clarity to come on what von der Leyen and JD Vance agreed on at the AI summit in Paris - NATO raids a controversial Romanian firm in a bribery crackdown
'Ghost passengers' are travelling aboard Russian ships that are transporting tanks and armored vehicles to Africa. FTM and its media partners discovered 28 mysterious individuals who are likely carrying forged documents. "It's more than likely an intelligence operation."
Palantir has earned a controversial reputation, from its work with ICE and the Israeli military to allegations linking its technology to the bombing of a girls' school in Iran. Yet European governments keep signing deals with the tech giant, some worth hundreds of millions. Which ones, and why?
Governments have spent billions fighting money laundering. But are their efforts working? Emma du Chatinier and Roel Janssen spoke to British investigative journalist and author @oliverbullough.bsky.social about why the failing system and the consequences. 🎧 Full episode: www.ftm.eu/articles/pod...
Donald Trump wants Europe to pay more for medicines for a simple reason: so Americans can pay less. But his plan threatens to have the exact opposite effect. Pharmaceutical companies are considering not releasing medicines in Europe at all. One expert calls the policy "monstrosity".
Can sports and politics ever be separated? In our latest podcast episode, journalist @krijns.bsky.social argues not. 🔗 Listen to the full episode on our website, app, or on all major streaming platforms: www.ftm.eu/articles/pod...
Financially independent, yet set to receive €43m from the institution they're independent of. Also this week in Bureau Brussels: industry's push to remove evidence that could trigger EU protections, and growing tender-rule breaches in the €228bn EU budget.
This week, we celebrated five years of our Brussels desk and of holding European power to account. From Von der Leyen's deleted texts and Russia's shadow fleet to Huaweigate and scandals at NATO, our newsletter this week looks back at the stories that defined our reporting.
Five years ago, we set up in Brussels to hold European power to account. We've reported on missing billions, exposed hidden dealings that harm society, and have become a headache for the powerful. The threats and insults keep coming. So do our investigations.
EU lawmakers are flying farther and more often – even to Singapore to study transparency. But their own travel costs remain unclear. As expenses soar, questions are growing over what taxpayers are actually getting in return for these trips.
Russia was banned from major international football competitions after invading Ukraine. But the money kept flowing: European clubs continued doing millions of euros worth of business with Russian clubs. 🔗In our latest podcast, Krijn Schramade explains what he found: www.ftm.eu/articles/pod...
MEPs could spend €80 million on travel next year, yet taxpayers can barely scrutinise the bill. After Nathan Gill was jailed for taking pro-Russian bribes, the European Parliament gave us a rare look into his expense records.
A hacker just outed Curaçao's casino owners. The leaked files finally put names to the people behind thousands of gambling sites. Many illegally preyed on thousands of customers around the world. 🔗 Full investigation: www.ftm.eu/articles/cur...
In the heart of European democracy, Ursula von der Leyen spoke about Europe's future. Before journalists could ask questions, she was out the door. Also in this week's Bureau Brussels: lawmakers challenge deleted texts, and a delayed report leaves questions over a €10 million grant unanswered.
Over 20,000 people read Bureau Brussels for weekly EU insights and updates on the deals and decisions shaping their lives and work. Brussels largest investigative team watches the bubble and asks the questions those inside try to avoid. 📬 Read it for free every Monday: www.ftm.eu/newsletter-o...
Over 20,000 people read Bureau Brussels for weekly EU insights and updates on the deals and decisions shaping their lives and work. Brussels largest investigative team watches the bubble and asks the questions those inside try to avoid. 📬 Read it for free every Monday: www.ftm.eu/newsletter-o...
Over 20,000 people read Bureau Brussels for weekly EU insights and updates on the deals and decisions shaping their lives and work. Brussels largest investigative team watches the bubble and asks the questions those inside try to avoid. 📬 Read it for free every Monday: www.ftm.eu/newsletter-o...
Over 20,000 people read Bureau Brussels for weekly EU insights and updates on the deals and decisions shaping their lives and work. Brussels largest investigative team watches the bubble and asks the questions those inside try to avoid. 📬 Read it for free every Monday: www.ftm.eu/newsletter-o...