Money laundering, free trade deal and glow-up
Follow the Money EU
‘When in doubt, follow the money.’ This principle guides all our work. Our independent newsroom digs deeper.
Welcome to the newsletter of Follow the Money’s EU desk, with insights from our EU specialists, news from the Brussels bubble, and the latest on our investigations!
In this week’s edition, we dive into the latest developments on the Didier Reynders money laundering case, von der Leyen’s successful trip to Latin America to sign the EU-Mercosur deal, and fresh lobbying transparency rules. Plus, we gave the new Commissioners’ (yawn-worthy) intro videos a much-needed glow-up. Dive in to see how!
The latest on the Reynders money laundering case
Last week, Follow the Money and Le Soir broke a major story: former EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders is under investigation for suspected money laundering – just two days after his term ended. A lot remains unclear, but since then, new details have continued to emerge.
Belgian public broadcaster RTBF reported on Friday that Reynders may have laundered around €1 million. He is said to have purchased approximately 200,000 euros in lottery tickets using cash over the past five years. Additionally, the investigation focuses on recurring deposits of “considerable amounts” in cash into one or more of Reynders’ bank accounts.
Reynders has denied the allegations. Through his lawyer, he stated that he is cooperating with the magistrate handling the inquiry, emphasising that the case concerns “the management of his private wealth.” The lawyer added that “the criminal classification given to the facts [money laundering] as presented in the press is formally opposed, as a matter of both fact and law,” and clarified that none of Reynders’ political roles are implicated. The lawyer also stated that Reynders himself would not provide any comment on the case.
The investigation’s timeline remains uncertain. Depending on its complexity, it could take months or even longer to conclude, unless the case is dropped earlier. Even if prosecutors gather sufficient evidence to press charges, the case would still need to go through court, potentially adding years to its resolution.
Reynders’ political background might offer him some protection. As a former Belgian minister and European Commissioner, he enjoys immunity that would need to be lifted before authorities could proceed with an arrest. Unless investigators find that the money laundering was entirely unrelated to his activity as a politician. In Belgium, money laundering carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
We’ll keep watching this case closely.
Simon Van Dorpe
Other news from the EU bubble
Von der Leyen’s successful trip to Latin America
Last Friday marked the conclusion of 25 years of negotiations with the signing of a “groundbreaking” and “historic” EU-Mercosur agreement. This deal with the South American bloc – comprising Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay – will establish a free-trade zone covering over 700 million people. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signed the deal in Montevideo, Uruguay, and celebrated it on X, calling it “the largest trade and investment partnership the world has ever seen.”
The agreement comes despite strong opposition from Austria, Poland, the Netherlands, and France, which made a last-ditch attempt to form a "blocking minority." These countries have long raised concerns about the impact on European farmers, fearing competition from cheaper South American meat imports. While the Commission has emphasised its exclusive competence to negotiate trade deals, the agreement still requires approval by a qualified majority in the Council.
In September, we explored how the Commission has been navigating a delicate balancing act during these negotiations, addressing concerns from farmers and environmentalists while pursuing classic trade interests. Read Hans Wetzels’ story into the EU’s balancing act between trade deals and sustainability promises here.
Lisanne van Vucht
Success for lobbying transparency within the Commission
The European Commission is introducing greater transparency in lobbying. From now on, an additional 1,100 officials in management roles will be required to disclose their lobby meetings. Previously, this obligation applied only to EU Commissioners, their cabinets, and Director-Generals – about 400 individuals. Moreover, the rules now go beyond simply recording that a meeting took place; they must also provide minutes detailing the main arguments and conclusions discussed.
Lise Witteman
Recommended by LinkedIn
Data visualisation
These commissioners will soon be overseeing a lot of money
Commissioners Síkela, Kos, Micallef, Lahbib, and Kubilius are set to oversee some of the largest spending portfolios within the European Union.
Three of these focus primarily on projects beyond Europe’s borders. International Partnerships, led by Síkela, funds global development projects. Neighbourhood and Enlargement, under Kos, supports countries aiming to join the EU. Lahbib oversees Humanitarian Aid, focusing on disaster relief and emergency response. Back home, Micallef manages investments in education, youth programs, and cultural initiatives. Kubilius is in charge of Defence and Space, which includes funding for satellites, space exploration, and defence technology.
Together, these portfolios make up for nearly 40% of the expenses from the first three years of the current long-term budget.
The EU’s long-term budget for 2021-2027 comes to a colossal €2 trillion (or two thousand billion). Roughly one-fifth of that hefty sum, or €377 billion, is spent directly by the European Commission. The rest is handed over to member states to divide via farm subsidies, regional cohesion projects and COVID recovery funds.
Curious to dive into the data yourself? See three years of expenses for these five DGs, aggregated by the beneficiary.
Ada Homolová
Social media corner
It’s been a week since the new European Commission took office. At Follow the Money, we tried to spice up their (yawn-worthy) introduction. We better start studying their jobs in order to keep an eye on them.
Our latest reads
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Stellantis, the manufacturer of Jeep, Fiat, and Citroën, was hit with massive fines in the U.S. for emissions cheating. But in Europe, the case quietly disappeared. Despite the Dutch government filing charges regarding the use of “defeat devices” used to trick emissions tests, Dutch prosecutors dropped their case against the company, citing expired statutes of limitations. Our investigation reveals missed opportunities by authorities and a lack of political will – despite European promises to address emissions cheating after the Dieselgate scandal.
Read the full investigation by Peter Teffer here.
How the eel lobby managed to ease EU rules – against scientific advice
European eels are an endangered species, yet fishing continues despite clear scientific advice to stop. Behind this lies a lobby group masquerading as a conservation organisation – appearing more interested in industry profits than protecting eels. An investigation by Follow the Money reveals how this Brussels-based group successfully lobbied the EU to ease restrictions for fishermen.
Read the full investigation by Remy Käller and Max Wastiaux here.
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I’m a lawyer a master of arts as belong to Istanbul Bar Association since 1988. Registration number is 15418 in the Bar.
1wI think that i'm a #lawyer and have a #masterofscience for the #internationaltrade and moreover, i'm quite #welleducated as a graduate of the #LawFaculty of #IstanbulUniversity and experienced since 1988 as a member of #IstanbulBarAssociation. I have applied a lot of times to the #EuropeanCourtofHumanRights, because i think that all of them were quite rightly or justly applications. All of those lawsuits were for my personal lawsuits. All my lawsuits were about my #attorneyshipfees. All of those were rejected without #reasonings via a #singlejudgedecision and the #judges who had taken the decisions in question, had a #background of the #ILO anyway. The #Fethullahistnetwork influenced the #ECtHR and my lawsuits until 2016 and i believe that there were some #fraudulent actions at the #decisions of the ECtHR are in question. Moreover, approximately a 7.000 judges were dismissed from the #jurist professions of them in #Türkiye after the #July152016coup detat attempt. Meanwhile the #Fettullahists influence either the #judiciary of Türkiye and the ECtHR in my opinion. I'm sure from that the #European #commissioner is in question, had some #offtherecordrelationships with the Fethullahists, as well as the #moneylaundering suspicious.