A Commission spokesperson told Science|Business that the FAQs, “make clear that only public interest trusts and entities maintained by them are concerned by the Council measures,” and that the rules of the ban have, “also been repeated at several outreach events which took place over the last months, including in events including the Horizon Europe National Contact Points.”
Unlocking Cohesion funds
While progress on the Horizon Europe ban is at an apparent standstill, Hungary is making moves to unlock some of the €22 billion in Cohesion funds, which have been withheld by the Commission since last December. This includes €1.5 billion designated to improve Hungary’s research and innovation performance.
At issue here are concerns that judicial independence in the country is not in line with the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights. There are also concerns about a child protection law that the EU views as anti-LGBTQ+, and about academic freedom and asylum laws.
To complicate matters, EU member states voted in December to suspend €6.3 billion of the Cohesion funds due to Hungary until it implements 17 remedial measures related to rule of law concerns, and the country is also blocked from receiving €5.8 billion in loans and grants from the EU’s post-Covid recovery package, until it implements 27 ‘super milestones’, which include the 17 remedial measures.
In July, Hungary submitted evidence to the European Commission in a bid to allay the concerns over judicial independence. The Commission is now awaiting the response to further questions sent to Hungary on 26 September, according to a Commission spokesperson.
Source link : https://sciencebusiness.net/news/horizon-europe/hungary-moves-unlock-eu-cohesion-money-horizon-europe-impasse-continues
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Publish date : 2023-10-04 07:00:00
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