Hungary proposes simpler EU rules on state investment grants

Hungary is proposing that the European Union simplify procedures when it comes to state investment subsidies, in order to boost the effectiveness of economic measures in connection with novel coronavirus, the foreign minister said on Thursday. Peter Szijjarto said in a video message on Facebook that he had discussed the request with the European commissioner for budget and administration, Johannes Hahn, earlier in the day. Current EU regulations on state grants are extremely strict, he added. Hungary wants the EU to allow member states to freely encourage investments and consequently support them with a view to optimising the handling of the economic consequences of the pandemic, he said.