BRUSSELS — The far-right Patriots for Europe group will be in charge of negotiating the bloc’s next climate target on behalf of the European Parliament, five officials and lawmakers told POLITICO.

The Patriots will field the so-called rapporteur, which drafts Parliament’s position and leads talks with EU governments on behalf of MEPs, on the bloc’s 2040 emissions-cutting target — giving the far right unprecedented influence over the EU’s next climate milestone.

The group — which includes the French National Rally, Italy’s Lega and Hungary’s Fidesz — strongly opposes the EU’s climate policies, with its chairman Jordan Bardella pushing for the suspension of the bloc’s Green Deal.

Rapporteurships are effectively auctioned through a point system, with each group receiving points according to its size. The Patriots, Parliament’s third-largest faction, simply outbid all other groups, one Parliament official said. The official, like others, was granted anonymity to discuss the closed-door process.

The European Commission proposed the bloc’s 2040 target last week amid fierce pushback from some governments and lawmakers, setting the stage for delicate negotiations in the fall.

Many MEPs from mainstream groupings expressed shock on Tuesday morning. Several lawmakers told POLITICO they were trying to find a way to take the file away from the Patriots.

“The report on the EU 2040 climate target is now in the hands of the far right,” said MEP Lena Schilling, the Greens’ lead negotiator on the file. “That should be a wake-up call for all pro-European forces in this Parliament.”

The Greens are seeking to fast-track the 2040 climate target through Parliament, with a vote on whether to speed up the process set for Wednesday.

A spokesperson for the Patriots did not respond to a request for comment.

Max Griera contributed reporting.

This article has been updated to reflect a change in the European Parliament’s vote on whether to speed up the 2040 climate target process.