Government intent on signing recovery fund deal by year-end

The Hungarian government is making a concerted effort to get to the point of signing the national plan for disbursing EU recovery funds, and it is hoped a deal can be reached with the European Commission by the end of the year, Tibor Navracsics, the minister for regional development and the uptake of EU funds, said in Luxembourg on Thursday.

After a meeting of EU cohesion ministers in Luxembourg, Navracsics told MTI by phone that he had reviewed the process with Elisa Ferreira, the EU commissioner for cohesion and reforms, and in light of this meeting an agreement may be signed later this year.

Endeavours are needed so that Hungary and the EC can get to the stage of signing partnership agreements on the financing of EU operative programmes, he said, adding that talks on the related partnership agreements were well under way.

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Meanwhile, commenting on the two-day congress of the European People’s Party (EPP) in Rotterdam, Navracsics said his participation as a member of the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP) delegation was to strengthen the relationship between the Hungarian government coalition and the EPP.

The departure of former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk as the EPP’s president opens up a new era for the EPP, he said. Hopefully institutional ties can be established between Fidesz and the EPP in the future which could lead to anything from full membership to a cooperation agreement. The KDNP may act as a mediator between the parties, he added.

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Source: MTI