Brussels, 19/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - Concerned for the freedom of local authorities in Hungary, the Committee of the Regions has given its full backing to the European Commission decision on 17 January to open a triple infringement procedure against that country, whose new constitution breaches European legislation (see EUROPE 10533).
The CoR is concerned that, under the new constitution which came into effect in Hungary on 1st January 2012, elected municipal councils can be dissolved by the national parliament on the grounds of a breach of the constitution, even without a ruling by the constitutional court. The Committee has concerns, too, over provisions in the constitution which curtail the autonomous management of local authorities' property and provide the opportunity to nationalise it.
CoR President Mercedes Bresso said that Europe-wide action was needed. “If the very principles of local democracy are at risk, a European Union which is a community of values needs to react. I call on the Hungarian authorities to engage in real and constructive dialogue in order to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.” In addition to political developments, the CoR is just as concerned by the economic situation in Hungary. If the country is unable to bring its pubic deficit back down below 3% of GDP, it could very well face the prospect of having cohesion funding payments for the 2007-2013 planning period suspended (see EUROPE 10530). (MD/transl.rt)