The European Commission continues its analysis of the Hungarian recovery plan against the eleven criteria set out in the Regulation establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the fiscal instrument of the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan (see EUROPE 12757/16). On Friday 9 July, the institution received replies to its comments.
However, “should our assessment require more weeks rather than days, we’ll propose to Hungary to agree on an extension of the two months’ deadline”, said Arianna Podestà, a spokeswoman for the institution, on Monday 12 July, the same day the deadline expired. EU Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni spoke of a matter of “weeks” after the Eurogroup meeting.
“We remain focused on our subject without being distracted by any issue”, Commission spokesman Eric Mamer assured when asked about a new anti-EU campaign by the Orbán government. On Tuesday, the Ecofin Council will approve twelve national recovery plans (see EUROPE 12759/9). (original version in French by Mathieu Bion)