The ministry said it is submitting a bill during the autumn session of parliament to amend rules on the operation of boards of trustees of foundational universities with the goal of putting an end to "the discrimination against researchers and students of foundational universities excluded from Erasmus and Horizon".

The statement said "Brussels" was freezing Hungarian university students and researchers out of EU programmes in order to put the government under political pressure.

Following a public consultation process, the ministry will submit its draft bill, "which is the same as the proposal which the government has been waiting Brussels to respond to for the past 10 months".

"We have had numerous negotiations with Brussels but without any progress made," the statement said.

"The bill seeks to settle all issues: fixed-term board membership and conflicts of interest that the European Commission raised concerns over," the statement said, adding, however, that the commission's proposals on excluding Hungarian rectors and professors from board membership and nominating foreign NGO representatives as board members would not be accepted.

Participation in Erasmus and Horizon as EU citizens "is a fundamental right of Hungarian university students", the statement said, citing Veronika Varga-Bajusz, the state secretary for higher education and vocational training.

HATC.hu reports that Gov’t to change laws for access to Erasmus funds

The government is set to amend the law on public interest trusts to comply with EU demands for stricter conflict of interest rules for foundations that fund universities.

This move is essential for Hungarian university students and researchers to access EU funds through the Erasmus and Horizon programmes.

The Ministry of Culture and Innovation acknowledged in a recent memorandum that the proposed changes will affect all higher education institutions governed by trusts and their students.

The government previously attempted to address these issues by urging government appointees on university boards to resign; but the legislation remained unchanged, leaving in place conflict of interest rules unacceptable to the European Commission.

The new proposal specifies who cannot serve on the boards of university foundations, including MPs, mayors, and various government officials.

The proposal requires trustees to declare their assets, like MPs, with verification by the Integrity Authority.

These regulations apply only to foundations that maintain universities.

Source: 
MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881.

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