ATHENS/BERLIN/ZURICH -The European Union is deploying AI-driven technologies along its borders in an to attempt to control migration flows, raising legal and ethical concerns about the impact on migrants' rights. While these systems are promoted as improving efficiency and security, they have raised concerns about privacy violations and restrictions on the right to asylum, concerns that this research confirms.

BRUSSELS / PARIS - Over a year, a team of 46 journalists in 16 countries investigated an ongoing massive, orchestrated lobbying and disinformation campaign led by the PFAS industry and their allied organisations to water down a proposal to ban “forever chemicals” in the EU and shift the burden of environmental pollution onto society, threatening the economic equilibrium of European nations. 

CLUJ-NAPOCA – This investigation reveals widespread illegal gravel extraction from riverbeds in Romania, exacerbated by corrupt practices and poor law enforcement. Ongoing dredging is causing serious damage, threatening freshwater resources, agriculture, and biodiversity.

AGADIR / PERPIGNAN – Grown for the most part in the Souss region of Morocco, tomatoes have become one of the most cultivated and exported vegetables of the kingdom. What goes wrong for the environment and agriculture if Europeans keep importing — and eating it in winter?

BERLIN/PRAGUE – This investigation examines migration trends in the care sector, focusing on foreign workers in Germany, elderly migration to the Czech Republic, and the reliance of Czech healthcare on foreign professionals.

AMSTERDAM/BUCHAREST/SOFIA/WARSAW - What happens if one of the million migrant workers living and working in The Netherlands - often doing dangerous jobs - gets permanently injured during a workplace accident? This investigation sheds light into the workplace accidents among migrant workers in Netherlands.

PRAGUE/ROME/LATVIA A joint investigation by Investigace, IrpiMedia and The Insider has revealed the ways in which thousands of European and American small arms were smuggled into Russia and used in the war with Ukraine.

EDINBURGH - Europe’s marine environment faces a plethora of severe threats. What are the key species in decline, and which interest groups are lobbying against marine protection laws? This investigation looks into Europe’s interconnected marine systems, and how they can be preserved.

KIAMBU - Across Europe – the largest coffee market in the world – millions start their days with an espresso or cappuccino. But behind Europeans' ever-growing love of coffee lies a bitter truth of environmental degradation and human exploitation.

 BERLIN/BASSANO DEL GRAPPA/LONDON/ZURICH—Baby number 12 is a global investigation into an adoption scheme that began in Switzerland in the ‘50s, and the trauma that haunt the victims today. The investigation aims to expose the responsibilities of the Swiss authorities and will ask for their action.

AMSTERDAM / ANTWERP / IMMINGHAM / LAGOS – International oil traders continue to dump toxic waste products into road fuels sold to African countries, polluting the environment, damaging engines and causing life-changing health problems for citizens, despite the efforts of the regulators and civil society.

ORADEA/LOULE/ROSTOCK- In this investigation, a diverse group of journalists analysed climate risk reports, academic literature and EU strategies for climate adaption to grasp the current state of adaptation in Europe and looked at local climate adaption in Oradea, Romania, Loulé, Portugal and Rostock, Germany to investigate what local circumstances hinder vs. encourage good climate adaptation practice.

VINSCHGAU / THIAN SHAN - This project shows that the protection of a special natural heritage – namely the wild apple forests of Kazakhstan, — is in Europe's strong interest, as it might help to make European apple growing more environmentally friendly.

DÜSSELDORF / BERLIN / VÁRPALOTA / BUDAPEST / SOMERSET WEST / POTCHEFSTROOM / PRETORIA / NALAGARH / JAKARTA –  With its project ‘Arming the World’, Investigate Europe exposes how German arms giant Rheinmetall has been quietly pursuing its global expansion strategy by supplying ammunition factories abroad, away from public scrutiny.

NUUK — This cross-border investigation focuses on how the increasing interest in the Arctic area – especially in Greenland and in the Russian northern shores – is re-shaping the economic and political equilibrium and is impacting the environment on a global level.

ASUNCIÓN / VICENZA - The investigation reveals the connections between the European automotive industry and massive deforestation in Paraguay’s Chaco region. It uncovers how major luxury car brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz purchase leather from Italian companies that, in turn, source the material from Paraguayan firms involved in illegal deforestation, particularly in Ayoreo Indigenous territories.

QUINCHÍA – How sustainable are the sustainability certification programmes set up by the coffee producers themselves — can coffee lovers trust the Nespresso AAA label? 

IHOSY - What can possibly be wrong about planting trees? This investigation digs deeper into a conflict unfolding in southern Madagascar, between the local community and an Italian multinational. As similar green projects multiply, this case highlights a critical challenge.

VILNIUS / RIGA / TALINN – This investigation reveals a complex web of industry influence and political manoeuvring that threatens the future of the Baltic forests. Powerful timber lobbies, backed by industry-funded research and political connections, appear to be shaping the narrative around forest management.

CHIMOIO / SANTARÉM – The EU countries consume more cellulose than they produce, and this growing demand is creating new business opportunities for some while resulting in the loss of land for others. This cross-border investigation examines the land grabbing in Mozambique fuelled by the European demand for eucalyptus pulp.

LONDON / EBUBU / ELELE / BODO / OGHALE - This investigation, led by a team of journalists with diverse backgrounds, delves into Shell’s divestment strategy in the Niger Delta and its far-reaching effects on communities.

OBERHAUSEN / SKOPJE / BUCHAREST / BELGRADE - Statistics for juvenile offenders with foreign citizenship in Germany show that the number of crimes is increasing. This reporting project analyses the number of kids and juveniles who appear in the statistics with Macedonian, Serbian, and Romanian citizenship. It also demonstrates that the spectrum of crimes is broad.

TBILISI / YEREVAN / ODESA / KHERSON –  The Silent Threat of Untreated Wastewater investigates the growing public health and environmental crisis caused by untreated wastewater in Armenia, Georgia, and Ukraine.

BERLIN / LONDON - The team of journalists investigated the financial ties between the fossil fuel industry and medical research. The data analysis reveals over 180 medical articles published in the last six years acknowledging funding and 1000 featuring authors affiliated with fossil fuel companies.  

MILAN / BOLOGNA / BARCELONA / DRESDEN – This investigation looked in the climate action plans of leading cities in Italy, Spain and Germany, scrutinising their use of EU funding, and identifying effective solutions for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

DUBLIN / MADRID - AI has exploded but when its cutting edge software is stripped back, carbon intensive hardware is whirring busily behind, at a high cost to the environment. What exactly does it amount to for Europe?

ROTTERDAM - The Netherlands is a hub for Russian whitefish such as cod, and thus indirectly facilitates Russia's war chest. Millions of kilos of Russian fish arrive in the port of Velsen every year, but controls on illegal catches are seriously inadequate. 

NUMAN – On land surrounding a huge sugar refinery in Nigeria, dangerously high concentrations of heavy metals appear to have had a devastating effect on people’s lives and farming output.

THE HAGUE - The Ministry of Defence is considering hiring private companies to guard the North Sea because the navy and coastguard do not have enough equipment and personnel. The decision follows research findings on Russian spying activities in the region among others investigated by Pointer KRO-NCRV and VRT NWS in cooperation with six other countries.

ROME / SOFIA / BUCHAREST – Proper recycling of PV panels can generate large quantities of raw materials crucial for the energy transition. Yet, due to the presence of harmful and toxic substances, solar waste can become extremely dangerous when it ends up in the wrong hands.

LECCE / THESSALONIKI / VLORA – This investigation uncovers critical regulatory and environmental issues surrounding the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), Europe’s largest fossil fuel project which spans Italy, Albania, and Greece. 

PARIS / LONDON / STOCKHOLM – This investigation reveals how European countries have been spending the “climate finance” that they have pledged to help developing countries tackle climate change.

BAKU/ RAVENNA/ L’AQUILA – Under the pretext of reducing reliance on Russian gas, Italy and the European Union have planned to double gas imports from Azerbaijan since 2022, even as dictator Ilham Aliyev tightens his authoritarian grip and increases investments in fossil fuels.

MEXICO CITY - This investigation reveals the scary scale of industrial pollution in Mexico caused by the activities of Volkswagen, BASF, and Bayer, Germany-based companies. Legal loopholes and lax oversight allow their facilities to continue discharging toxic waste.

HELSINKI / LIMA - This investigation shows that the EU needs environmental regulations for zinc supply from other countries, in order to avoid environmental damage and health costs.

TIRANA – Albania is experiencing an unprecedented tourism surge, with over 7.5 million tourists last year, and expecting more than 10 million next year. This rapid growth is putting significant pressure on the country’s natural environment.

LJUBLJANA / SOMBOR / OSIJEK – Mura-Drava-Danube is a UNESCO-protected biosphere reserve. It spans over 300,000 ha and includes more than 700 km of connected rivers. This investigation reveals poor management practices, lack of cooperation between five national governments, and lack of conservation efforts.

PARIS - An in-depth investigation of the We Report network looked in the cockpit of the privatised airplane industry. Behind the scenes, the polluting footprint of a few rich is infinite.

WARSAW/BUCHAREST/SINALOA - Europe is facing a fentanyl crisis. In 2023, victims of this deadly substance were reported already in a few countries. The team of journalists trace the path of fentanyl from Mexico to Romania and Poland and show the complexity of the issue.

DAGESTAN / ASTRAKHAN / ATYRAU — Amid the Ukraine conflict, the Caspian Sea has gained importance for energy and trade. As Baku will host COP29 in late 2024, the world's largest inland body of water faces a severe crisis. The water levels have dropped, and the coastlines have been shifting. 

BERLIN/BELGRADE - According to the new German Supply Chain Act, all German companies are obligated to ensure that human rights are respected throughout their supply chains worldwide. This means no child labor, no forced labor, and no exploitation. But is that truly the case?

SICILY / ANTALYA – Forest wildfires have increased in scale and impact. Every year, 375,000 hectares of land in Mediterranean countries are scorched by them. The journalists tried to identify the main factors which lead to these disasters endangering entire ecosystems.

PALMA / ACI TREZZA / VENICE / MASAXLOKK / AGIA NAPA / KATAPOLA – This investigation focuses on how the EU laws have promoted industrial fishing in the Mediterranean, to the detriment of Southern European small-scale fishermen. 

GOTLAND / MONTPELLIER – Is global warming making climate conditions less favourable for grape cultivation in southern Europe and more favourable in the north? The cross-border team conducted on-site reporting in four countries to see if this is true.

ROTTERDAM/ANTWERP — This first-of-its-kind investigation shows how much fossil fuels will be produced by Dutch and Belgium oil refineries between now and the year 2050. When burned, at least 3.9 million kilotons of carbon will be released into the atmosphere - emissions that correspond to hundreds of thousands of heat-related deaths due to the effects of climate change.

BARCELONA / FAENZA  – This cross-border investigation examines the impacts of extreme weather events impacts in Catalonia (Spain), Emilia-Romagna and Campi Bisenzio (Italy), focusing on psychological effects. 

ALYTUS/OULU/TURIN- The number of homeless people in Europe has doubled since 2009. A recent report from the Feantsa states that Europe has almost 895,000 homeless people.

SKOPJE - The Macedonian grayling is a unique butterfly species which resides exclusively on the outskirts of a small Macedonian town, with no other known locations worldwide. The specimen of this rare and endangered butterfly can be purchased at low prices across Europe — how did this become possible?

BUCHAREST / PAZARDZHIK —  The green transition is not necessarily a clean one. The European frenzy for green energy projects, and the massive funds assigned for this process generated a chaotic battle for agricultural lands in Romania and Bulgaria, countries particularly vulnerable to corruption risks.  

PARIS – Billed by the fossil fuel industry as a climate solution, dozens of planned blue hydrogen projects in Europe could consume more natural gas than a country like France, and produce emissions on a par with Denmark. These findings raise new questions over blue hydrogen’s climate impact at a pivotal moment for the industry.

ISTANBUL/PARIS/UTRECHT - The European Union has helped Turkey to deport Syrian and Afghan refugees to situations of hardship, danger and even death through a system of arrest, detention and removal that has developed over time, this investigation has found.

BERLIN/ROME- As more and more EU countries are looking into asylum agreements with Rwanda or other third countries, this investigation sheds light into what is already happening in Rwanda after the MoU signed with the UK government.

# Financial support
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# Projects supported
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# Grantees
0

Grants 

European Cross-border Grants

With the award-winning European Cross-Border Grant programme, Journalismfund Europe supports (since 2009) professional journalists and independent media outlets who have good ideas for cross-border investigations and for research on European topics.

The next application deadline is (CET):

Thu, 23/01/2025 - 13:00

Environmental Investigative Journalism

This grant programme supports cross-border teams of professional journalists and/or news outlets to conduct investigations into environmental affairs related to Europe (all the countries, not only EU members).

The next application deadline is (CET):

Thu, 23/01/2025 - 13:00

Pascal Decroos Fund

The Pascal Decroos Fund is Journalismfund Europe's oldest grant programme. Since 1999 it strives to advance investigative journalism in Dutch-language media in Belgium.

The next application deadline is (CET):

Thu, 06/02/2025 - 13:00

News

Scholarships for grantees

To enable investigative journalists to share their experience and knowledge with colleagues at conferences, trainings, webinars and other available journalistic events, Journalismfund Europe provides scholarships for its grantees.

LOCAL Cross-border Investigations Grant: Applying Successfully

Pre-application sessions for potential applicants - grants journalists

Questions? In-house assistance to prepare your application

2025-01-16

BRUSSELS - Let us walk you through your application to increase your chances of getting funded.

Marching in the Dark

Marching in the Dark under consideration for the 97th Academy Awards

2024-12-03

LOS ANGELES - Kinshuk Surjan's debut documentary film Marching in the Dark is under consideration in the category Best Documentary Feature for the 97th Academy Awards next year.

Siće graves in Croatia, Tina Xu

The Border Graves Investigation team received the European Commission’s Award

2024-12-03

BRUSSELS – The team that brought the investigations of unmarked graves of migrants in 65 cemeteries buried over the last 10 years across Spain, Italy, Greece, Malta, Poland, Lithuania, France, and Croatia has won the European Commission’s Award for Journalism.

Agenda

23Jan
Webinar

Besteht die Frage, ob Sie die Voraussetzungen erfüllen, um sich zu bewerben? Fragen Sie sich, ob Ihr Projekt gefördert werden kann, um Kapazitätsaufbau und Mentoring zu erhalten? Möchten Sie wissen, wie wir im Rahmen dieses Förderprogramms „Innovation“ verstehen?

Brussels (BE) - Online
27Jan
Webinar

Join us for a focused 90-minute workshop exploring practical implementation of AI tools in newsroom operations. Led by Ján Trangel, AI Ambassador for Ringier media house in Slovakia, this session will share real-world experiences and actionable strategies from their ongoing AI implementation process.

Online
28Jan
30Jan
Workshop

A two-day intensive workshop featuring a unique program designed for investigative journalists with diverse backgrounds and varying levels of technical skills.

Vienna (Austria)