New Transparency and Accountability Study of Non-Profit Organizations s in the European Union

The European Commission last month published a new study on “RecentPublic and Self-Regulatory Initiatives Improving Transparency andAccountability of Non-profit Organizations (NPOs) in the European Union.”  The study is the workof the European Centerfor Non-Profit Law.

The study identifiedthe eight most common trends in regulation and self-regulation in the EU includingpromotion of accountability and transparency, creation of and access to nationalregistries, and improvement of NPO governance and accountability through self-regulation. 

The study analyzednineteen different initiatives to illustrate best practice solutions in certainareas of both public and self-regulation. Among the initiatives analyzed were an initiative to reform the legal structurefor NPOs in Malta, the Charity Commission for England and Wales, and the CounterTerrorism Strategy of the Charity Commission for England and Wales.

Among the study’s recommendations is a call for the creationof a “Centre of Excellence” at the EU level to promote facilitation andinformation sharing. 

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