The Government has added some HUF 300bn to the existing fund of the Economic Development and Innovation Operative Programme (EDIOP), Minister of State for the Utilization of EU Funds Balázs Rákossy said. Thus, the fund -- avaialable until the end of 2016 -- totals more than HUF 2200bn, he stressed.

As promised, the Government has eased access to and accelerated the payment of EU funding, Balázs Rákossy pointed out. As a result of raising the amount of available funding, the framework amount will be HUF 2209.4bn by the end of the year.  Within that, EDIOP’s research development fund saw the largest growth of HUF 180bn, and thus the total respective amount open for tenders until December 2016 increased to HUF 438.6bn.

It is a new element that enterprises can apply for refundable resources for research, development and innovation.  The framework amount of loan facilities has also increased substantially, by HUF 96.1bn, to HUF 623bn.

These modifications are designed to adjust tender dossiers to market requirements and provide impetus to the Hungarian economy through EU funding, the Minister of State emphasised. In recent years as well as in the years ahead we must maintain momentum behind the Hungarian economy, and the efficient utilization of EU funds will play a key role in this effort, he added. Development funds must not only be randomly distributed as they were in the former period, but they must be well-placed and have to reach the best places possible, Balázs Rákossy stressed.

(Ministry for National Economy)