BBG-Gov't Claims To Have Adopted Anti-Corruption Strategy

Bloomberg reports that the Hungarian gov't has said it has adopted a set of new anti-corruption measures in an effort to remove blocks on significant EU structural funding. The specifics of the measures have not yet been detailed, with the gov't set to publish them on an as-yet-unspecified date.

• Around EUR20bn in structural and COVID Recovery and Resilience Facility funding is being withheld by Brussels amid long-standing concerns about the rule of law and corruption violations.
• As noted in the EU's most recent rule of law report, according to the Commission Budapest has done nothing to work towards the seven objectives set out in the previous year's report.
• The report states, "The suspension of commitments from EU funds under several EU programmes and the lack of disbursements following a payment request under the Recovery and Resilience Plan persist, as no new measures have been adopted to remedy the outstanding rule of law and anti-corruption issues".
• The Hungarian chairing of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union continues until year-end. Once Brussels returns to working action in late-Aug, it remains to be seen whether the EU looks to effectively strip the Orban gov't of its agenda-setting abilities. Already the informal foreign ministers' summit scheduled for 28-29 Aug in Budapest has been effectively sidelined by EU High Rep. for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell calling a formal meeting in Brussels at the same time.