V4 may ask for more time to draw Eurofunds

The Visegrad Four group, including Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, plan to have their prime ministers and parliamentary chairs exert pressure on EU bodies to make them postpone the deadline for the new programming period's use of European Funds. This according to Slovak House chair Boris Kollar (We Are Family) on Monday after meeting with representatives of Slovak and Czech regions. Earlier in the day, Kollar met with representatives of the Self-governing Regions Association (SK8) and Czech Republic's Regions Association (AKCR), where the call to the EU was articulated. Kollar conceded that a subject of heated discussion was whether or not the two states are able to invest money from the new programming period or the EU Recovery Fund. "We talked about whether we're even able to invest these resources within such a limited time window," stated Kollar, who believes that the V4 need to ask for more time. Also broached was the question of what it would take to weather a potential second wave of the coronavirus outbreak, and public administration reform. At a press conference held after the meeting, the Slovak organisers sent condolences to the bereaved in the wake of a fire that engulfed a flat in the Czech town of Bohumin on Saturday (August 8) and claimed 11 lives, including three children.