EC sends letters to Poland and Hungary on EU conditionality mechanism

Poland and Hungary have two months to submit the information requested in a letter from the European Commission concerning the conditionality mechanism in the European Union budget, an EC spokesman has said.

To protect the EU budget against breaches in the implementation of jointly agreed rules and regulations, the conditionality mechanism allows the EU to suspend, reduce or restrict access to EU funding in a manner proportionate to the nature, gravity and scope of the breaches.

The letters are seen as one of the first steps towards triggering the mechanism for the first time over disputes with Poland and Hungary over the rule of law.

Christian Wigand confimed to PAP on Friday that the EC had sent the administrative letters to both countries requesting information which may be of importance to the application of the general conditionality mechanism.

He pointed out that under the general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union's budget, the EC may contact the member state concerned and request all information needed for it to make an assessment.