European Commission to withhold EUR 20 billion until Hungary fulfills all requirements
While Hungary has fulfilled requirements on judicial reform, the EU will continue to withhold some EUR 20 billion of cohesion funds until other concerns are addressed, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said on Wednesday.
Speaking in the European Parliament’s plenary debate on the state of the rule of law in Hungary, Von der Leyen said Hungarian legislation on judicial reform guaranteed judicial independence and curbed the danger of political interference. “Hungary did what we asked,” she said.
At the same time, resources frozen due to concerns over the rights of sexual minorities, academic freedom and asylum rights would be withheld until Hungary fulfilled those requirements, she added.
The EC president said that the EU had always aimed to foster changes in member states that improved the life of all Europeans.
Meanwhile, Hungary has received pre-financing from the resources of the REPowerEU funds, earmarked for programmes aiding economic recovery. REPowerEU funds are disbursed unconditionally to all member states, she noted.
The EC will continue to monitor the use of the funds to protect the interests of the EU and its budget, she added.
Von der Leyen also touched on the situation in Ukraine, noting that in the span of months, Kyiv adopted new legislation on expanding the rights of ethnic minorities, developing the judiciary and on curbing the influence of oligarchs. She said those “significant results” showed Ukraine’s commitment to Europe, adding that Ukraine’s democratic institutions were fulfilling the “aspirations of their people as well as our recommendations”.
Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said Belgium, which took over the EU’s rotating presidency on Jan 1, was concerned about the state of the rule of law in Europe. To avoid any further infringements, the Article 7 procedure against Hungary would be pursued even as the presidency engaged in dialogue with the Hungarian government, she said.
Maintaining the rule of law and introducing institutional reforms to protect the EU’s budget would be key to Hungary gaining access to EU funds, she added.
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3 Comments
Ironic how our Politicians are worried about how Ukraine will use EU funds … As all the other EU Members are worried about how Hungary uses its funds.
Wonder who gets to cruise on Lady MRD this year? Jet around in the comfort of the HA-LKZ or OE-LEM, clock up some hours on our Air Force’s HA-LKX or 604 / 605 (as you do)? All the perks… Keep that EU honey flowing!
Compliance Hungary – by the BOOK.
By the book, means come back into practice of ALL things under the banner of DEMOCRACY, the Laws of membership of being a Member of the European Union.
BIG ask for Victor Orban, which will be beyond his position and capabilities, the distancing he has moved Hungary from Core points of Law under European Union Membership.
This is where the European Union has Orban by his “short & curlies” as to “sing on” again, practice COMPLIANCE, all those RED Phones on his Desk would Explode – see there ring tones ware out.
Orban – caught between a “rock and a hard place” the voices on the Red Phones, plus the Hungarian & “other” Oligarch’s, he serves, answers to, what a “mine field” he would tread.
To Norbert. Excuse me, but I guess, you don’t realise enough what’s going on. It’s a war for influence and money, as every single other war. Hungary as a system (I’m not telling about people) has her own interest in Ukraine. We can clearly see it from illogical constant provocations. So I’d dare to say that Orban (once again, I’m not telling about all people) see the advantages in putins politics, wich makes Ukraine more weak. I’m afraid, we should expect some more energetic move from government to separate some Ukrainian regions. Luckily EU laws just don’t let to do that. As ruzzia don’t see the victim or enemy in Hungary, they literally are treating Poland, Lithuania, Finland etc with possible invasion, as we can hear from putler’s and other propagandists words.it’s not “the war in Ukraine”. It’s the most huge weapon invasion in democratic European country since WWII and it has awful influence on simple people lives all over the world, as products (grain, oil etc) delivery, fast growing prices, social crisis etc. Hungary just not afraid because ruzzia is still friendly to them. But it’s literally the same as to be friendly back to the main terrorist of modern world. EU Must grow their military potential as soon as possible and this money are going to protection, because they realise the military human potential of Ukraine and they need it. Because they lost their potential a lot.
And what about to control Hungarian budget? Yeas, when the country entered EU, it MUST follow the main democratic values, EU rules and laws. If they don’t want – they’re welcome to exit the agreement and join russian terror or something.
Thanks , with respect , Hanna