DOn Wednesday evening, the EU Commission released ten billion euros from cohesion funds, which it had blocked for Hungary a year ago due to deficiencies in the rule of law. “We have received sufficient guarantees to say that the independence of the judiciary in Hungary will be strengthened,” said Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders. However, we will continue to monitor the situation and react if there are any regressions.
The group leaders of the pro-European parties in the EU Parliament had previously challenged Commission President Ursula von der Leyen not to make a decision yet. The necessary prerequisite, a more independent judiciary, “has not been met,” they wrote in a joint letter that was also signed by Manfred Weber, the head of the EPP, von der Leyen’s party family.
The money is now available for disbursements once programs pre-funded by the Hungarian government are completed. She has already applied for the payment of 500 million euros, this money can now flow. 11.7 billion euros from the cohesion fund remain blocked because Hungary does not meet the conditions for it. This concerns precautions against corruption, an end to discrimination against sexual minorities and compliance with EU asylum law.
A spokesman for the EU Commission said that the decision was made strictly in accordance with the applicable rules. In contrast, MEPs spoke of “blackmail” because the release was made before the European Council on Thursday, where Hungary is threatening to veto the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine. “We must never sell our values for money,” said the leader of the Social Democrats, Iratxe García. They want to see real improvements in the rule of law, instead of “empty promises on paper”.
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