The country works in the fight against corruption and fraud to avoid the blockage of 7,500 million European funds
The Hungarian authorities have asked the other partners of the European Union (EU) for patience and promised to implement the reforms demanded by Brussels. Hungary’s Justice Minister Judit Varga has asked member states to be “tolerant, positive and constructive” while assuring that the country is already working to fight corruption and fraud to avoid the suspension of 7,500 million European funds.
“We are fully committed to the implementation of these measures,” Varga assured on arrival at the meeting of General Affairs Ministers in Brussels. His statements come just two days after the college of commissioners unanimously proposed a 65% freeze on the country’s funds from three cohesion programs. The EU fears that Budapest’s anti-democratic drift is fueling corruption and fraud in the management of the European budget.
Member States have one month – extendable to three – to decide on the suspension of these funds. It is the first time that Brussels applies the conditionality mechanism, intended to protect the European budget. However, Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn stressed on Sunday that Hungary is “working in the right direction”.
Hungary’s justice minister also defended on Tuesday the good harmony with the community administration over the summer, which has made it possible to elaborate 17 measures “aimed at allocating Brussels’ concerns”. These reforms include the creation of an independent judicial authority and an anti-corruption body, and “they need time to be adopted,” Varga stressed, as legislative changes are needed. He calculates that everything will be ready “mid-November”.
Source: La Verdad
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