#EUFridays by JEF Hungary #1

EU Fridays by JEF Hungary

#1

EU energy crisis

Natural gas prices have surged in Europe, currently being six times higher than last year. Even though the price increase is general, not every country is paying the same rate. Many countries are now asking for the European Union to work out a common solution for the crisis. Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Romania, and the Czech Republic are asking for a joint EU gas procurement program. Others, such as Poland, Hungary, Malta, and Slovakia want to slow down the green transition. For some countries like France, Hungary, and the Czech Republic, nuclear energy needs to be part of the solution towards a carbon-neutral future. On the other side, some countries such as Germany, Belgium, and Sweden argue that the markets will regulate themselves, saying nothing should be done in reaction to the crisis.

Poland ordered to pay a daily fine of €1 Million by the ECJ

Earlier this year, Poland was ordered to suspend a controversial disciplinary chamber, that it has not yet done. This chamber of Poland’s Supreme Court was set up in 2018 to penalise top judges, according to the government for fighting corruption. Critics however argue that it is rather being used to punish independent judges and sanction the content of their rulings. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ordered the chamber to be shut down in July, as it was not deemed sufficiently independent or impartial. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said EU institutions have no right to tell Poland how to organise its judiciary. The European Commission has yet to approve €57bn of Covid-19 recovery funds set aside for Poland and may not do so until the dispute is resolved. The ECJ’s ruling on last Wednesday stated, that the fine of €1m a day must be paid until Poland suspends the chamber.

EU Parliament sues the European Commission

The Parliament of the European Union has decided to sue the Commission, due to its failure to implement a proper mechanism that would withhold EU funds from member states that violate the rule of law. This comes shortly after Poland’s constitutional court made a ruling that challenges the supremacy of EU laws. The president of the EU Parliament, David Sassoli, though not mentioning Poland specifically, published a statement a day after Commission president Ursula von der Leyen clashed with the Polish Prime Minister over the rule of law debate. Sassoli said, “EU Member States that violate the rule of law should not receive EU funds. Last year, Parliament fought hard for a mechanism to ensure this. However, so far the European Commission has been reluctant to use it.” The mechanism introduced at the start of the year has not yet been used by the Commission, despite von der Leyen asserting that the Polish court’s ruling will not be left unanswered.

Viktor Orbán wants the EU to pay for the cost of Hungary’s border fence

The Hungarian Prime Minister has renewed his call for the European Union to reimburse the costs of the border fence the country erected, which he said protect the bloc from illegal immigration. In a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Orbán said that the Hungarian government has spent $1.9 billion over the past six years on costs related to the fence. The call comes as the Commission has already withheld EU funding, citing rule of law concerns within the country.

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