Cross-Party Letter on Hungarian Recovery Plan
Recovery Plans
Today, a cross-party group of MEPs working on the situation in Hungary have sent a letter to the Commission on concerns around the Hungarian government’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP). The letter, which was initiated by the Greens/EFA Group, calls on the Commission to reject the draft RRP and ensure that an updated plan is in line with the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) regulation and European values.
Damian Boeselager, Volt MEP & Greens/EFA shadow rapporteur on the RRF regulation, comments:
“The Hungarian government’s plan fails to take on board the Commission’s previous reform recommendations on the independence of the judiciary, anti-corruption and transparency efforts as well as the requirements for prevention of misuse and conflict of interest in the RRF regulation. Civil society, the Parliament and other Member States all have serious concerns about the risks of corruption and rampant fraud in Hungary, which is aggravated by the state of the judiciary. The Commission cannot let these risks to the EU’s financial interest fall by the wayside in an effort to get Hungary’s national plan over the line.
“The prefinancing under the RRF will be the largest single payment Hungary has received since joining the European Union, and the control mechanism put forward by the government so far is not enough to safeguard these funds against conflicts of interest, fraud and corruption.”
Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, Greens/EFA MEP and European Parliament Rapporteur on the situation in Hungary, comments:
“The situation facing LGBTIQ people and minorities in Hungary is incredibly worrying. It is extremely concerning that the recent law scapegoating LGBTIQ people could be exacerbated with recovery funds earmarked for education and healthcare. It’s simply unacceptable that any recovery money might be used to support Fidesz’s strategy to dismantle the rule of law and fundamental rights. The Commission must ensure that all EU funds are used to support democracy and fundamental rights and not undermine them.
“There was no consultation to prepare Hungary's recovery plan, which means that the plan is not representative of Hungarian citizens and poses the risk that the distribution of funds could be politically motivated. The Commission should reject the draft Hungarian plan in its current form and ensure that the updated plan fully respects European values and the RRF regulation.”
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