EC proposes to unlock €4.2 billion for Hungary
The European Commission has proposed to unlock for Hungary €4.2 billion from the Cohesion Fund, which was not allocated due to the country’s failure to comply with the rule of law. EC President Ursula von der Leyen said Hungary had taken important steps to strengthen the rule of law and protect financial interests.
The European Commission has proposed to unlock for Hungary €4.2 billion from the Cohesion Fund, which was not allocated due to the country’s failure to comply with the rule of law. EC President Ursula von der Leyen said Hungary had taken important steps to strengthen the rule of law and protect financial interests.
“Hungary has addressed previously identified shortcomings in areas such as public procurement, the anti-corruption system, the risks of conflicts of interest and the effectiveness of the prosecutor’s office,” he said. According to her, Hungary has strengthened control over the use of EU funds and made the procedure for conducting state tenders and using budget funds more transparent.
It is also proposed to restore Hungary’s full access to Erasmus’ European student exchange programs and Horizon Europe’s research and innovation programs.
The decision to unblock the funds within a month must be approved by the EU Council. In total, the EU has blocked about €17 billion of funds for Hungary under the Cohesion Fund (created to reduce inequality between EU countries) and the Recovery and Resilience Fund (founded after the COVID-19 pandemic). The EC blocked these funds under the government of Viktor Orban, putting forward 27 conditions, including the strengthening of the fight against corruption.
Lucine Balasian
