At the initiative of President Jean-Claude Juncker, First Vice-President Frans Timmermans led a debate today in the College of Commissioners on recent developments in Hungary which have widely raised concerns about compatibility with EU law and the common values on which the Union is based.
The College discussed the Hungarian Higher Education Act, a draft law concerning foreign funding of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the ‘Stop Brussels’ national consultation, and ongoing legal concerns in the fields of asylum and non-discrimination. The College agreed to take forward the relevant and legally mature individual infringement cases in the next cycle of infringement procedures at the end of this month.
The Commission will also swiftly complete a thorough legal assessment of the Higher Education law and decide on next steps in the next infringement cycle. On the draft law on NGO funding, the Commission will closely monitor the process and will revert to the matter on the basis of an analysis of the legal issues at stake. Finally, with regards to the national consultation ‘Stop Brussels’, the Commission decided today to prepare and make public its own response to the consultation. The issues discussed today by the College relate both to the respect of Union law and the respect of the Union’s common values as enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. Taken cumulatively, the overall situation in Hungary is a cause of concern for the Commission. The College therefore agreed to start a political dialogue with the Hungarian authorities, the other Member States and the European Parliament.
