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Rule of Law Mechanism Against Hungary Starts on Wednesday

Hungary Today 2022.04.26.

The European Commission will send a letter to the Hungarian government informing them of the start of the procedure to which Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will have three months to respond.

The European Commission will approve the launch of the rule of law procedure against Hungary on Wednesday, and Commissioner for Budget and Administration Johannes Hahn will send the official written notification to the Hungarian government on the same day, Népszava reports.

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A process lasting six to nine months will begin, and at the end of it, a council of national government representatives may decide to suspend or block part of EU funding if it is proven that the EU’s financial interests are directly affected by a breach of certain rule of law standards.

Fact

The Court of Justice of the European Union rejected Hungary’s and Poland’s complaint in February that the EU may cut funds to Member States that violate the rule of law. According to the ruling, the so-called rule of law mechanism is legal. The Luxembourg-based panel announced in the ruling that the two countries would also bear the costs of the proceedings.

Népszava pointed out, however, that sending the letter does not mean that the EC has already decided to impose a fine on Hungary. According to the newspaper, the letter will draw attention to anomalies in public procurement, irregularities in agricultural land sales, and shortcomings in cooperation with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

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Sources: HVG, Népszava

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