1. NGO Monitor letter to EU officials on the removal of funding information from the EU website (July 21, 2009)

2. Reply from the EU (July 23, 2009)


1. NGO Monitor letter to EU officials on the removal of funding information from the EU website (July 21, 2009)

Eric Galvin
EIDHR Coordinator
Delegation of the European Commission to the State of Israel

RE: Removal of funding information from EC website

Dear Mr. Galvin,

It has come to our attention that pertinent funding information related to the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) has been removed from the EC’s website.

The current version of the site (http://www.delisr.ec.europa.eu/english/content/cooperation_and_funding/4.asp) contains only two charts, comprised of projects that have already elapsed.

However, Google’s cached version of the page (http://209.85.229.132/search?q=cache:8qrzXObEyOoJ:www.delisr.ec.europa.eu/english/content/cooperation_and_funding/4.asp) indicates that as of May 28, 2009 there were three charts, including information on grants from 2007 and 2008, some of which are apparently ongoing.

We would appreciate any information you can provide that would explain the reasons for removing the most recent information.  Perhaps there were mistakes on the data, or a reason to prevent public access. Or perhaps it is available on another EC website or in a published database.

We would also like to know whether you intend to repost this information, perhaps with changes, and if so, when?

Sincerely,

Naftali Balanson
Managing Editor
NGO Monitor

cc: Gerald Steinberg, Executive Director, NGO Monitor
Roy Dickinson, Chargé d’affaires, ECTechnical Assistance Delegation to Gaza   and the West Bank
Gianmatteo Arena, Head of Operations, Delegation of the European Commission to the State of Israel
    
NGO Monitor (www.ngo-monitor.org) was founded to promote critical debate and accountability regarding the political activities of non-governmental organizations. We have over 11,000 subscribers, who receive our internet research reports, as well as in-depth monographs examining the funding, agendas and credibility of NGOs claiming human rights and humanitarian agendas that are active in the Arab-Israel conflict zone. NGO Monitor’s reports are quoted frequently in the press, academic publications, by NGO officials and donors, and in governmental and parliamentary discussions.


2. Reply from the EU (July 23, 2009)

Dear Naftali,

I am pleased to inform you that the list below is back on the site. It was removed by mistake on 2 July, 2009 and we are grateful for NGO Monitor for rapidly helping spot this technical error.

With kind regards,

Eric