The EU court rejected the Erasmus funds request of a Hungarian university

The European Court of Justice rejected the claim of the University of Debrecen, and the decision prohibiting the financing of Erasmus remains in force.

Approaching deadline for 2023 Erasmus plus proposals

The deadline for concluding the contracts in the framework of the 2023 Erasmus plus call for tenders is approaching. However, there is no news of the agreements. By mid-July, the Tempus Public Foundation and the universities applying for support should sign the agreements renewing the applications that expire this summer. This is necessary so that students and teachers preparing to go abroad can plan ahead regarding their autumn academic year. But for the time being, the Brussels decision of last December, which prohibits the financing of the educational exchange programme concerning 21 Hungarian universities that have changed the model and are maintained by foundations, is still in force.

Hungarian university no longer receives Erasmus funds

The University of Debrecen separately requested the immediate suspension of the prohibitive Brussels provision, which the CJEU rejected. The Hungarian government and the European Commission were still unable to agree on the elimination of the conflict of interest characteristic of the governing bodies of higher education institutions operating in the form of public foundations. In order for Hungarian university students not to be excluded from next year’s Erasmus programmes, the parties should reach an agreement by mid-July. According to the information of Népszava, the judicial body has already decided and did not grant the request included in the claim.

The most controversial point according to the Commission

The most controversial point is the selection mechanism for the board members of the public interest trust foundations that manage the universities and some research centres that have undergone a model change. The Commission expects that the process in which they decide on the members of the board of trustees should be more transparent. Although the Hungarian government wrote to Brussels that the new members would be chosen on the recommendation of the board members, the Commission did not accept the proposition. There is still no agreement between the government and the EU.

In the case of the lawsuit by the Hungarian university, it could take about a year and a half to reach a decision. The plaintiffs claim that university decision-making is independent of the foundation’s board of trustees.

Source: Népszava