A collection of 144 posts
The European Commission (EC) on Wednesday endorsed a package of 24 guarantee programmes worth EUR 2.4bn to support investments in the EU’s neighbourhood and enlargement countries in the West Balkans. The new guarantees approved by the EC’s Operational Board of the European Fund are classified under the
Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovakia have jointly requested EU funding to develop the necessary infrastructure to support increased gas supplies from Azerbaijan. The countries say they recognize the importance of energy security for Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and see the potential for Azerbaijan to play a crucial role in
The EU last year attempted to address the erosion of perceived democratic norms of the populist governments of Hungary and Poland, by withholding a combined EUR 138bn in funding from the two states. After this unprecedented move, 2023 will be the year when the EU decides on whether to make
Hungary and Romania were among the four signatories of an agreement to construct a 1,100km (685 mile) power line under the Black Sea within three to four years, in Bucharest Saturday. The cable will transit Azeri electricity, mostly from wind and solar energy, from Azerbaijan to the EU, via
Next year the EU will provide Ukraine with EUR 18bn, circumventing Hungary’s veto, the Council of the European Union announced on Saturday. The loan to the war-torn country is aimed at short-term repairs of critical infrastructure and longer-term post-war reconstruction with an eye on future European integration. Czech Finance
The European Commission (EC) opened the possibility for EU national leaders to punish Hungary in an upcoming vote on funding suspensions, on Wednesday, 30th November. In a twin move, the EC suspended a EUR 7.5bn cohesion funding payments, subject to 17 milestones that Hungary must meet and, more ambiguously,
Hungary could lose billions of euros from its Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) funding entitlement after the European Commission (EC) decided that it is unsatisfied with its rule of law reforms and corruption levels on Wednesday, 23 November. Hungary is officially entitled to EUR 5.8bn of RRF funds as
The European Commission (EC) told Slovakia on Tuesday to include spending limits in its state budget or risk endangering the EUR 6.3bn it has earmarked for the country via its Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). According to the EC, Slovakia has failed to follow up on calculating how spending
Hungary will find out whether it will receive its EUR 7.2 bn pandemic recovery fund payment on 22 November, Bloomberg reports, citing inside EU sources. After over a year of discussions, in September the European Commission (EC) froze the funds due to concerns regarding the rule of law in
Slovenia will receive 3.26 billion euros in EU funding via a partnership agreement, the details of which it finalised with the European Commission (EC) on Monday, 19 September. The deal covers the EU’s current funding period of 2021-27. European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira said “Slovenia
The European Commission (EC) recommended the rescinding of 7.5 billion euros worth of cohesion funds from Hungary on Sunday, unless it enacts reforms that address rule of law issues in the country. After weeks of intensive dialogue between the EC and officials from Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government,
As the September 21 deadline approaches, leaders in Brussels are split on whether to finally unlock billions of euros that have been withheld from Hungary due to concerns about the rule of law and corruption in the country. In addition to around EUR 6bn that Hungary was earmarked to receive
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are finalising coordinated agreements on restricting entry for the Russian citizens with Schengen visas, the three Baltic countries’ foreign ministers announced after a meeting of the Nordic-Baltic Eight in Kaunas, Lithuania, on Wednesday. The Baltic countries are planning tighter measures than those announced by the EU
Hungary will not agree to the extension of EU sanctions against Russia unless visa bans and asset freezes against three Russian oligarchs are lifted, according to diplomatic sources that spoke to news outlet Szabad Europa. The EU’s punitive measures are extended every six months, and the renewal, due on
European Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said the EU’s EUR 29bn investment package for the Western Balkans “has the potential to transform the region and boost its economy to a level of prosperity never seen before”, at the official opening of the Open Balkan Summit in Belgrade on Friday. A functioning