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Negotiations are ongoing between the relevant authorities, and Tibor Navracsics, Minister for Regional Development, is optimistic about the transfer of EU funds Hungary is entitled to.
Tibor Navracsics, the Minister for Regional Development, told the Világgazdaság business portal that he is confident that the relevant legislative package will be a good enough solution for the European Commission and that an agreement will be reached, which will be adopted in March.
The politician was speaking to the website in connection with the statement made the previous day by European Commission Vice President Vera Jourová. According to Reuters, the Czech official said that Hungary must bolster the independence of its judiciary “very soon” to stand a realistic chance of getting any of the 15.4 billion euros envisaged for Budapest from the EU’s recovery funds. “They will have to adopt laws, which will strengthen the position of the judges, which will strengthen the anti-corruption actions. These are very concrete things which the Hungarian government has promised to correct or install very soon… time works against them,” Jourová said.
“There is still time until March for the package of laws on the independence of the judiciary to be adopted by the parliament, and I understand that negotiations are ongoing between the Ministry of Justice and the European Commission on the content of the package,” Navracsics explained.
On the issue of higher education boards of trustees and foundations, the minister said that their proposals would be sent to the European Commission this week, but he declined to give details on the content and details of the proposals.
In response to a press report that the disbursement of EU funds could be delayed and slip into the second half of the year, the minister said that he predicted that the cases would be closed by the summer months, but that he expected the European Commission to continue to make requests in the future.
Featured photo via the European Commission
