The European Commission on Thursday said it launched an infringement procedure against Hungary, as well as Estonia, Malta and the Netherlands, because it did not “correctly transpose” European Union regulation on the fight against fraud affecting the EU budget.
The EU’s executive body sent the countries letters “of formal notice”, marking the start of infringement procedures. The member states have two months to respond or the EC could take the procedures to the next level.
The Prime Minister’s Office said late Thursday the issues raised by the EC on the matter are related to the interpretation of the criminal code.
“These technical issues are not part of the negotiations between Hungary and the Commission over the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) [and] are being resolved at expert level”,
the office added.
Meanwhile, the foreign minister said that Hungary’s government has reacted to changes in the world, such as the coronavirus pandemic, the economic crisis and the war in Ukraine, with “uncompromising” commitment to representing national interests and strengthening self-defence. Péter Szijjártó told the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in Turin on Friday that
the 21st century seems to turn out differently from what was expected.
Hungary will continue to promote national interests in defending physical, economic and energy security, as well as in protecting Christianity, culture, families and the home, he said. The war in Ukraine is a serious security risk for Hungary, a neighbouring country, which has a vested interest in restoring peace in the region, he said. At the same time, sanctions should hit those targeted the most, he said.
On the issue of family protection, Szijjártó said Hungary defined the family as the Judeo-Christian culture has done for thousands of years, by saying that the father is a man, the mother a woman, and children are raised by their parents, he said.
Hungary respects if other countries want to live differently, and expects the same for others,
he said. Unless the world is able to return to the principle of mutual respect in international relations, the challenges facing the world will be exacerbated, he said.
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Source: MTI
