site.btaEU Considers Introducing Stricter EU Funding Conditions

There is broad agreement within the European Union (EU) to consider introducing stricter conditions for receiving funds from the EU budget, Danish Minister for European Affairs Marie Bjerre said after the meeting of the EU General Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Tuesday.

She noted that earlier in the day, the ninth hearing of Hungary under Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union had taken place, due to concerns related to the rule of law. According to her, these hearings will continue, despite Budapest’s rejection of the criticisms.

EU Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath said the European Commission continues to share the concerns of the European Parliament, which initiated the procedure against Hungary in 2018. He noted that the Commission has brought two cases before the Court of Justice of the EU concerning Hungarian legislation it considers incompatible with EU law. Rulings are expected in the coming months, he added.

The Commissioner explained that the EC remains of the view that the procedure against Hungary should continue until the reasons for its initiation are resolved. McGrath added that the EC remains open to dialogue but retains the ability to exert pressure through the conditions for disbursing EU budget funds. He specified that Hungary remains blocked from accessing a total of EUR 18 billion in EU funding.