Portugal says unacceptable to block EU recovery funds

Fri, Dec 4, 2020
By editor
1 MIN READ

Foreign

Portugal joined European Union countries condemning Poland and Hungary on Friday for holding up the bloc’s coronavirus crisis recovery package.

The country is joining the EU on the issue in a dispute over linking disbursal of the funds with rule of law provisions.

“It is unacceptable that two member states can block a decision that is very important and decisive for all the European Union and for the recovery of Europe, and on such an argument,’’ Portuguese Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva told an online conference in Rome.

“The rule of law is one of the basic values and principles of the European Union.’’

Hungary and Poland have for weeks blocked the release of funds worth 1.85 trillion euros ($2.25 trillion) from the EU’s seven-year budget and a post-COVID development fund.

They object to the bloc’s attempt to make the funds conditional on respect for the rule of law and democratic norms.(Reuters/NAN)

– Dec. 4, 2020 @ 17:22 GMT |

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