The European Commission is asking for more money from Member States, while Hungary has not received the funds it is entitled to.Continue reading
A solution must be found between Hungary and the European Commission over the EU’s Erasmus and Horizon Europe education and research programs, and students should not become victims of political disputes, Bulgarian Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth, Iliana Ivanova, said Tuesday in Brussels.
Iliana Ivanova was appointed by the Bulgarian government after Bulgarian Commissioner Marija Gabriel resigned from the European Commission.
EU Commissioner Iliana Ivanova (Photo: European Parliament).
Speaking at a hearing in the European Parliament (EP), Ivanova responded to a question from Fidesz MEP Andrea Bocskor about the debate on EU education and research programs by saying it was regrettable that negotiations between Hungary and the European Commission had stalled.
She said it was unfortunate that young people were missing out on opportunities, but, she stressed, “the rules remain rules that must be respected.” If the Hungarian authorities agreed to comply with the legal obligations that the European Commission wants to enforce, there would be no obstacles to the disbursement of EU funds, Ivanova said.
I can’t promise any specific decisions. But I can say that I want to be part of the solution. If possible, I will try to help the parties reach an agreement with more information and goodwill,”
the commissioner said.
She also stressed that time is short and dialogue must be maintained to find a solution. The politician added that it would be unfortunate if administrative and legal obstacles prevent most students from participating in EU programs.
“The ball is now in the court of the Hungarian government. It is now up to the Hungarian government when it will meet expectations,” Ivanova said,
adding that a solution is needed for the benefit of students so that they do not become victims of political disputes.
In a statement, Fidesz deputies Andrea Bocskor and András Gyürk also stressed the need for an urgent solution to the Erasmus issue.
Andrea Bocskor pointed out that the European Commission’s procedure is “a discriminatory decision that could exclude two-thirds of Hungarian universities and about 180,000 students from EU programs starting in 2024, which would mean a huge competitive disadvantage for students and a loss of prestige for excellent Hungarian universities. Time is running out, we need a solution as soon as possible,” the politician said.
András Gyürk said the commissioner’s most urgent task is to solve the Erasmus problem. He condemned “the discrimination of Hungarian students and researchers by Brussels” as unacceptable and called for urgent action before, as he wrote, “Brussels bureaucrats destroy European academic cooperation.”
via mti.hu, Beitragsbild: Pixabay
