The European Commission should reconsider appointing Altus

Prime Minister’s Office

János Lázár

Minister of Prime Minister’s Office

Deputy State Secretary for Development Policy Communication Nándor Csepreghy has asked the European Commission to reconsider entrusting Altus – the company of opposition politician Ferenc Gyurcsány – with the task of supervising the functioning of development policy in Hungary.

At a press conference held on Sunday, Mr. Csepreghy expressed his incomprehension at the European Commission’s decision to entrust the four-person company with this task, instead of giving it to a large international auditing company, as Altus cannot be considered politically independent. He said that no one in Hungary can seriously think that Mr. Gyurcsány, President of the Democratic Coalition party, will be able to deliver an objective, unbiased opinion.

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Photo: Károly Árvai

The Deputy State Secretary emphasised that the Government attaches great importance to development policy, which is why in 2014 they decided to amend the regulatory and institutional system governing funds in the current budgetary period.

Mr. Csepreghy said that last week members of Altus contacted a number of ministries; according to the documents they presented, they had been entrusted by the European Commission with supervising the structure of the new period’s development policy system. Previously this task had been carried out by the European Union itself, he said.

(MTI/Prime Minister's Office)