The Director of Rényi Institute and President-elect of HUN-REN welcomes the European Council’s October 13 decision.
Following the decision adopted at the meeting of the Council of the European Union on 13 October, Hungary can once again access the Horizon Europe research and innovation framework programme and the Erasmus+ education and mobility programme. The decision also paves the way for the release of €4.2 billion in previously frozen cohesion funds.
“A new chapter starts today. For Hungary and for Europe,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on social media in response to the decision. The restrictions were introduced in late 2022 after the European Commission raised concerns about conflicts of interest, transparency and academic freedom at more than 30 Hungarian institutions, including 21 universities. As a result, the institutions concerned had been unable to receive funding from the two EU programmes for almost four years.
The decision follows the reform process initiated by the Hungarian government. According to the European Commission’s assessment, “the remedial measures notified by Hungary, taken as a whole, in the state in which they were adopted and taking into account their detailed provisions, effectively remedy the identified breaches of the principles of the rule of law and protect the Union budget.” The full text of the Council Implementing Decision on the termination of measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary and repealing Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506 is available in English HERE.
According to András Stipsicz, Director of the HUN-REN Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics, President-elect of HUN-REN and Hungary’s member of the European Research Council (ERC), the decision makes European opportunities more predictable for Hungarian researchers and university students and represents an important step forward for HUN-REN as well.
“The European Council has made a very reassuring and important decision on the proposal of the European Commission. Restoring access to the Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ programmes not only opens up new opportunities for international collaboration and professional development, but also strengthens the European ties of Hungarian science and higher education. Although HUN-REN researchers were not directly affected by the restrictions, the uncertainty also had an impact on joint work with international partners and on research groups working in collaboration with universities. The decision is therefore significant for the HUN-REN community as well: it can help strengthen professional ties and expand opportunities for international research. I hope that the decision will soon deliver tangible results and enable Hungarian researchers and university students to participate more actively once again in joint European scientific and educational initiatives.”
The decision of 13 October allows students at the Hungarian universities concerned to participate in Erasmus+ again, while researchers can rejoin international Horizon Europe collaborations as full partners. Further EU funding may also be released, depending on progress with additional reforms.