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EU Envoy Optimistic about Deal on EU Funds

Mariann Őry 2023.03.24.

Hungary is close to reaching an agreement with the European Union that would give it access to the 28 billion euros in EU funds that have been blocked over rule of law concerns, according to a government official.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s EU envoy and state secretary at the Ministry of Justice János Bóka told Bloomberg that the EU executive would respond early next week to Hungarian proposals on key judicial reforms. If they are approved they could be ratified by the Hungarian parliament in mid-April and 5.8 billion euros could be released from the EU’s coronavirus epidemic recovery plan in the second half of this year.

We are very close to an agreement, we see no open political questions,”

Bóka said.

Discussions on an agreement are progressing and a deal could be reached in the coming days, according to an EU official familiar with the talks, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are not official, Bloomberg wrote, adding that European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said negotiations are ongoing.

Foreign Minister Calls Talks on EU Funds 'Frustrating'
Foreign Minister Calls Talks on EU Funds 'Frustrating'

The reason for the conflict is that Brussels does not like the way the Hungarian government is governing the country, says Péter Szijjártó.Continue reading

The commission set 27 key conditions for Hungary, known as super-milestones, that cover remedial measures to address concerns related to the use of EU cash and to unblock the recovery funds, including four requirements for the judiciary, the news agency reminded. Bóka told them that the work on the remaining demands was not progressing “as fast as one would hope” because “we see new concerns popping up on behalf of the commission from time to time, which further complicate the process.”

Featured photo via European Commission


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