Ministry: EC’s request of additional EUR 100 million from member states ‘unacceptable’

It is also “unacceptable” that member states are expected to contribute to financing interests on loans when Hungary still has yet to receive the share of the loans it is entitled to, the ministry cited state secretary Tibor Toth as saying at a meeting of EU finance ministers (Ecofin) in Brussels.

Halfway through the current financial cycle, the European Commission has proposed amendments in connection with which the Hungarian government has a number of concerns, Toth said. The 100 billion euro amendment package includes the establishment of a so-called Ukraine Facility which would be dedicated to supporting Ukraine with 50 billion euros between 2024 and 2027, he said. But, he added, it was unclear how Ukraine’s spending of the money it receives was monitored. He said the EC had not even confirmed whether the 50 billion euros would be enough for the coming years.

Toth said Ukraine’s receipt of the money was conditional on it guaranteeing the rights of its national minority communities. Until this condition is met, Hungary cannot support the EC’s proposal on funding for Ukraine, he added.

Meanwhile, the state secretary said the EC was asking for extra contributions to finance interests on loans from which Hungary had yet to receive its share. It should also be noted, he said, that Brussels had so far barely covered more than 1 percent of the 650 billion forints (EUR 1.7bn) Hungary has spent on border protection since 2015.