I hope that EU will reach consensus on €50bn for Ukraine - von der Leyen
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed hope that the European Council will reach a consensus among all 27 countries on the adoption of amendments to the EU’s multi-annual budget, which includes the creation of a €50 billion Ukraine Fund.
She said this today in Strasbourg during a hearing in the European Parliament on the outcome of the December meeting of the European Council, Censor.NET reports citing Ukrinform.
"The last European Council demonstrated the political will to stand by Ukraine as long as necessary. But we have to back up this decision with adequate funding. We have proposed (an instrument) to guarantee stable and meaningful funding for Ukraine for the next four years, to support the day-to-day functions of the state, to stabilise the economy in order to bring Ukraine closer to our European Union. All of this requires a revised EU budget," von der Leyen said.
She reminded that the mid-term review of the EU's multiannual budget is not just about continuing assistance to Ukraine. It covers issues of increasing the EU's competitiveness, addressing migration issues, providing support for the Western Balkans, and solidarity in the aftermath of natural disasters such as floods and forest fires.
"These are our priorities that we collectively share. We need this mid-term budget review, and I am confident that we will find a solution as a group of 27 countries," von der Leyen added.
Speaking about Hungary's access to EU financial resources, which is conditional on the country's adherence to the rule of law, von der Leyen noted that the Hungarian government has partially implemented the European Commission's recommendations in the reform of the judiciary, after which the country gained access to regional development funds (10.2 billion euros - Ed.).
"Last May, Hungary adopted a new law on justice reform, which addresses a number of our recommendations contained in the 2022 Rule of Law Report. This law has strengthened judicial independence and limited the scope for political interference in the judiciary. This was a requirement for Hungary to fulfil the conditions for receiving regional development funds. This is what we asked for, and this is what Hungary has done," the European Commission President said.
