Economy
EU will use "all its power" to ensure Hungarian laws are in line with community rules - Barroso
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Barroso said some of Hungary’s newly passed legislation may be in violation of European laws and European principles.
His comments came after the country’s right-of-centre government - boasting a two-thirds majority in Parliament - passed a range of new laws that are seen as limiting the independence of the central bank (NBH) and gerrymandered to cement the power of the ruling Fidesz party and concentrate its power in the media and the judiciary.“We will use all our powers to make sure that Hungary complies with the principles and values and the rules of the European Union," Bloomberg cited Barroso as telling reporters in Copenhagen today.
“I am confident we will achieve that," he added.
The EC said it planned to complete a full legal analysis of the Hungarian laws within days and make a decision by next Tuesday on whether to start a process that could eventually lead to a lawsuit.
Olli Rehn, the EU’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner, warned separately that Hungary faced the possible suspension of valuable EU development assistance, a temporary freezing of payment from Cohesion Funds, unless it did more to control its budget deficit.
His comments came after the country’s right-of-centre government - boasting a two-thirds majority in Parliament - passed a range of new laws that are seen as limiting the independence of the central bank (NBH) and gerrymandered to cement the power of the ruling Fidesz party and concentrate its power in the media and the judiciary.“We will use all our powers to make sure that Hungary complies with the principles and values and the rules of the European Union," Bloomberg cited Barroso as telling reporters in Copenhagen today.
“I am confident we will achieve that," he added.
The EC said it planned to complete a full legal analysis of the Hungarian laws within days and make a decision by next Tuesday on whether to start a process that could eventually lead to a lawsuit.
Olli Rehn, the EU’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner, warned separately that Hungary faced the possible suspension of valuable EU development assistance, a temporary freezing of payment from Cohesion Funds, unless it did more to control its budget deficit.
