Cross-border investigations supported by the IJ4EU fund have caught the attention of Europe’s highest institutions — prompting legal rulings, parliamentary hearings and public calls for reform.
Late last month, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that Malta’s “golden passport” scheme was illegal under EU law, citing the findings of Passport Papers, a journalistic collaboration launched in 2020 with a €31,150 grant from IJ4EU.
Passport Papers revealed how Malta’s investor citizenship scheme allowed individuals — mostly Russian nationals — to pay up to €750,000 for an EU passport, often spending only a few days in the country despite a formal year-long residency requirement. Journalists uncovered widespread evidence of fabricated or superficial ties to Malta.
The ECJ found that Malta’s investor citizenship programme commercialised EU citizenship and violated the principle of sincere cooperation between member states.
The landmark ruling was the result of legal proceedings against Malta initiated in late 2020 by the European Commission, which referred to Passport Papers in its arguments to the court.
Elsewhere in Europe, an investigation into the privatisation of psychiatric care is making waves in Italy and France. Supported by an IJ4EU grant of €14,900, Madness Companies revealed how companies specialising in elderly care are expanding into psychiatric institutions, raising concerns about standards.
In Italy, the investigation shed light on how privatisation is undermining the legacy of the 1978 Basaglia Law, which abolished psychiatric hospitals in favour of community-based care.
Following publication, the Human Rights Committee of the Italian Senate held hearings on the issue. During the second session, project coordinator Ludovica Jona was invited to testify. A legislative proposal is now being developed to monitor and regulate the use of restraints in psychiatric care.
Civil society alarm
In the environmental realm, revelations from The Forever Lobbying Project prompted an urgent appeal by civil society groups.
Following the investigation — which involved 46 journalists in 16 countries — a coalition of 94 NGOs issued an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling for a ban on PFAS chemicals, widely known as “forever chemicals”.
Helped by an IJ4EU grant of €12,000, the journalists exposed how industry actors mounted a coordinated effort to weaken proposed EU regulations. PFAS substances have been used in industrial and consumer products for decades and are linked to serious health problems including cancer and infertility.
In their letter, the NGOs described PFAS pollution as a generational threat and pointed to the investigation’s findings as further evidence of what they called “the most serious pollution crisis humanity has ever faced”.
In Romania, an investigation into Russian propaganda operations uncovered how Moscow-backed actors have used media outlets, influencers and advertising to promote extremist candidates and manipulate public opinion.
After the publication of Russian Propaganda Networks, the Romanian General Prosecutor’s Office opened a criminal case in response to threats received by one of the journalists. That case has since been merged with a broader inquiry into the financing and coordination of the disinformation network.
Public debate
Meanwhile, a batch of recently published investigations supported by IJ4EU have ignited debate on topics as diverse as military spending, human rights and corporate accountability.
In the Czech Republic, revelations from Overpriced Ammo have raised serious questions about transparency and profiteering in a €1.6 billion Czech-led initiative to supply Ukraine with artillery shells. The exposé uncovered inflated margins, late deliveries, disinformation campaigns and possible conflicts of interest among intermediaries tied to Czech arms firms.
In Chile, Children of Silence uncovered the enduring legacy — and ongoing reality — of illegal adoptions stretching back to the Pinochet era. Journalists traced the trafficking of children from Chile to Europe through a transnational network involving religious orders, social workers and adoption agencies.
Journalists also trained a spotlight on Europe’s role in foreign conflicts with Europe’s Mercenary Recruitment Network. This year-long exposé traced how underqualified European contractors — some with no military background — became entangled in fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo, allegedly violating international law and contributing to the fall of Goma.
The investigation has prompted debate in France and Romania over legal loopholes, state complicity and the blurred lines between private security and mercenary activity.
Environmental justice came to the fore in Repsol: The Corporate Spill, a damning investigation into the aftermath of a 2022 oil spill off the coast of Peru. The reporting reignited outrage in Peru over the lingering pollution and failures of Spanish energy giant Repsol to adequately compensate local communities.
The investigation also fuelled criticism of global investors and the limits of international enforcement in holding multinationals accountable for environmental damage.
Finally, Wombs for Hire exposed the murky and often exploitative underworld of commercial surrogacy across Georgia, Turkey and Northern Cyprus. The revelations of trafficking, medical abuse and regulatory failure have renewed debate within the EU over whether surrogacy can ever be ethical.
In response to growing concerns, the EU recently classified exploitative surrogacy as human trafficking, mandating stricter penalties and protections for victims.
Since its launch in 2018, the IJ4EU programme has provided some €6 million in grant funding for cross-border investigations that might not otherwise be possible due to financial and practical constraints.
During the 2024/25 funding round, IJ4EU has allocated €2 million to 75 cross-border teams. Stay tuned for many of the teams’ findings over the coming weeks and months.