At a joint exchange of views, the Parliament’s Budgets and Budgetary Control Committees examine the Commission’s plan to unlock up to EUR 16 billion in EU funds for Hungary. Executive Vice President Raffaele Fitto, Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration Commissioner Piotr Serafin, and Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGrath represent the Commission.
Following Viktor Orbán’s election loss on 12 April, the BUDG and CONT Committees invited Vice-President Fitto, Commissioner Serafin, and Commissioner McGrath to discuss unfreezing EUR 16.4 billion in EU funds for Hungary. A political deal (29 May) tied the funds to key reforms. Hungary submitted a revised Recovery and Resilience Plan (10 June), targeting 27 supermilestones, anti-corruption measures, and EU financial interest protections. The Ecofin Council (10 July) is expected to approve it. MEPs will seek clarity on unlocking EUR 4.2 billion in cohesion funds and fundamental rights, particularly academic freedom.

BUDG/CONT joint meeting on Unfreezing EU funds to Hungary

Michael McGrath was Irish Minister for Finance from 2022 to 2024, and he is now the European Commissioner-designate for Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law, for the von der Leyen Commission II.

Confirmation hearing of Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner-designate, Democracy, Justice and the Rule of Law

CONT - Exchange of views with Commissioners on the conditions and procedures for unfreezing EU funds allocated to Hungary

EP Plenary Session - July 2026 - Presentation of the programme of activities of Irish Presidency

Civil Dialogue Forum

EP Plenary Session - Electrification Action Plan

EP Plenary Session - Recruitment of children by organised crime

EP Plenary Session - Rights, support and protection of victims of crime

LIBE - Exchange of views with the Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, Michael McGrath, in the framework of the Structured Dialogue

JURI - Presentation of the 28th Regime proposal by Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection Michael McGrath

EP Plenary session - Commission interference in democratic process and elections

CONT Chair, Andreas SCHWAB (EPP, DE), BUDG Vice-Chair, HOHLMEIER, Monika (EPP, DE), Executive Vice President Raffaele FITTO, Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration Commissioner Piotr SERAFIN, and Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGRATH, open the exchange of views during which the Parliament’s Budgets and Budgetary Control Committees examine the Commission’s plan to unlock up to EUR 16 billion in EU funds for Hungary. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Exchange of views on the conditions and procedures for unfreezing EU funds allocated to Hungary: opening statements by Andreas SCHWAB (EPP, DE), HOHLMEIER, Monika (EPP, DE), Raffaele FITTO, Michael MCGRATH and Piotr SERAFIN

At a joint exchange of views, the Parliament’s Budgets and Budgetary Control Committees examine the Commission’s plan to unlock up to EUR 16 billion in EU funds for Hungary. Executive Vice President Raffaele Fitto, Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration Commissioner Piotr Serafin, and Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGrath represent the Commission.

Exchange of views on the conditions and procedures for unfreezing EU funds allocated to Hungary: Q&A - Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) and Committee on Budgets (BUDG)

This News item presents extracts from the joint exchange of views of the Budgets and Budgetary Control Committees with Executive Vice President Raffaele Fitto, Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration Commissioner Piotr Serafin, and Democracy, Justice, Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection Commissioner Michael McGrath, on the conditions and procedures for unfreezing EU funds allocated to Hungary.

Conditions and procedures for unfreezing EU funds allocated to Hungary: extracts from the meeting with Raffaele FITTO, Executive Vice-President of European Commission, Piotr SERAFIN, European Commissioner and Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner

This video shows extracts from the arrivals and doorsteps by Renew Europe leaders, who meet ahead of the European Council meeting. Valerie Hayer, Renew Europe President, sets their priorities on the current situation in the Middle East, on Ukraine and on the upcoming elections in Slovenia. This transcription if the result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Renew Europe leaders meet ahead of the European Council meeting: arrivals and doorsteps

Opening statements by Marilena RAOUNA, Cypriot Deputy Minister for European Affairs, and Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection ahead of the plenary debate on the rule of law, fundamental rights and misuse of EU funds in Slovakia - the need for an EU response. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Rule of law, fundamental rights and misuse of EU funds in Slovakia: opening statements Opening statements by Marilena RAOUNA Cypriot Deputy Minister for European Affairs and Michael MCGRATH European Commissioner for Democracy Justice, Rule of Law

Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, and Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&D, DK), Rapporteur, close the debate on the protection of minors online. MEPs debate a report calling for accelerating the enforcement of the EU Digital Services Act and the AI Act, while closing legal gaps to ensure online services are safe for minors to use. Sounding the alarm over the mental health risks and rising social media addiction among children and adolescents, MEPs want to ban the most harmful addictive practices for minors and for the EU to take action against persuasive technologies and practices such as targeted ads, influencer marketing, addictive design, loot boxes and dark patterns. The text proposes a common EU-wide minimum age threshold of 16 years for accessing social media platforms and the development of privacy preserving age assurance systems.

Protection of minors online: closing statements by Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, and Christel SCHALDEMOSE (S&D, DK), Rapporteur

Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, closes the debate on the communication on the Democracy Shield. The new rules seek to increase transparency and public trust in policy and decision-making without being unduly burdensome or restricting legitimate civic engagement. The draft directive addresses the increasingly cross-border nature of lobbying and potential foreign influence in European democratic processes. The strategy is supposed to boost the EU’s collective capacity to counter information manipulation and disinformation, and strengthen its resilience by involving the whole society. Closing statements by Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection.

Communication on the Democracy Shield: closing statements by Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection

Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, opens the debate on the communication on the Democracy Shield. The new rules seek to increase transparency and public trust in policy and decision-making without being unduly burdensome or restricting legitimate civic engagement. The draft directive addresses the increasingly cross-border nature of lobbying and potential foreign influence in European democratic processes. The strategy is supposed to boost the EU’s collective capacity to counter information manipulation and disinformation, and strengthen its resilience by involving the whole society. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivery.

Communication on the Democracy Shield: Opening statement by Michael MCGRATH, European Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection

McGRATH, Michael (IE, EC)

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