Economy

Hungary Receives $82Mln in Unlocked EU Funding - Finance Minister

BUDAPEST (Sputnik) - Hungary has received 75.2 million euros ($82 million) in EU budget funding that was blocked under rule-of-law disciplinary proceedings, Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said Friday.
Sputnik
"This time, 75.2 million euros (29.8 billion HUF) in funding has been received for green and digital transformation investment," Varga said on social media.
The newest handout brings the total amount of unlocked EU budget funds transferred to Hungary since the end of December to 550 billion forints ($1.5 billion), the minister estimated.
Varga said the latest tranche would be used to fund Hungary's Environmental and Energy Efficiency Operational Program, which aims to promote the use of renewable energy sources and improve wildlife protections, water supply, and waste management.
The European Union withheld some 7.5 billion euro worth of payments to Hungary from the shared budget in 2022 over alleged rule-of-law shortcomings, but Budapest's block on EU funding of Ukrainian war efforts made Brussels unlock some of the funds to Hungary in December.
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