The top legal adviser to the European Court of Justice has said billions of euros were wrongly released to Hungary. Advocate general Tamara Ćapeta argued that the European Commission should not have lifted the suspension of about €10bn in EU funds.
The commission froze payments in 2022 over concerns about corruption and judicial independence under prime minister Viktor Orbán. In 2023, it decided Hungary had met reform conditions and allowed funding to resume. The European Parliament challenged that decision, claiming the commission made serious errors.
Ćapeta said the reforms required to protect the rule of law were not fully in force and that the commission failed to properly assess compliance. Although her opinion is not binding, the court often follows such advice. A final ruling is expected in the coming months and could force the commission to recover funds or cut future payments.
The case may set a major precedent on how the EU enforces rule-of-law standards among member states.
