Hungary Adopts New Anti-Corruption Strategy to Unlock EU Funds

(Bloomberg) -- Hungary’s government said it adopted a new anti-corruption strategy as part of efforts to unlock crucial European Union funds, without immediately disclosing details.

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The cabinet approved anti-fraud and anti-graft steps related to the bloc’s funding, according to a decision signed by Prime Minister Viktor Orban and published in the official gazette late Thursday. The measures will be published on a dedicated website, the government said, though it didn’t set a specific deadline.

The EU is withholding about €20 billion ($22 billion) of funding earmarked for Hungary due to graft and rule of law concerns under Orban’s rule. Hungary ranks as the most corrupt nation in the EU in graft-watchdog Transparency International’s latest annual survey.

Earlier this year, the head of Hungary’s Integrity Authority — a state institution set up at the EU’s request to identify the misuse of the bloc’s funds — asked for additional powers to fight high-level corruption.

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