The top legal adviser to the European Court of Justice has said the European Commission wrongly released billions of euros to Hungary. Advocate general Tamara Ćapeta argued that Hungary failed to complete the judicial reforms required to unlock about €10bn in suspended funds.
The commission froze payments in 2022 over concerns about corruption and rule-of-law breaches under prime minister Viktor Orbán. In 2023, it concluded that sufficient reforms had been made and lifted the suspension. The European Parliament challenged that decision, claiming the commission made serious errors and acted without proper justification.
Ćapeta said the commission failed to properly assess whether reforms were fully implemented and criticised a lack of transparency. While her opinion is not binding, the court often follows such advice. If judges side with parliament, the commission could be forced to recover the funds through future budget adjustments. The ruling is expected to set a key precedent in EU rule-of-law disputes.
