HUNGARY NET PAYER OF EU

The Hungarian cash register in the European Union signals a loss for last year. The billions repeatedly mentioned by the government exist only on paper, so far little money has come to applicants.

While according to the present Minister of EU affairs there will be a HUF 50-70 billion surplus in the budget of this year owing to EU sources, Imre Boros, PHARE Minister of the former government claims Hungary has closed 2004 as a net payer because from 530-550 million euros paid in only 210 million euros returned.

A recent report from Brussels shows Hungary has not used well the facilities of the SAPARD programme, either and there are similar problems with other programmes affecting agricultural and transport modernization while Slovakia managed to use completely the agricultural subsidies of the European Union for the last year.

Translated by Péter Szentmihályi Szabó