The Council of the European Union is set to approve an amended assessment of Hungary's recovery and resilience plan, adding new reforms and investments across four components, with all milestones and targets scheduled for completion by Q2 2026. The proposed implementing decision, published on 5 August 2026, would modify the earlier approval of 15 December 2022, reflecting Hungary's updated commitments under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The amendments span demography and public education, workforce development, catching-up settlements, and water management, affecting schools, teachers, higher education institutions, vocational centres, households, and local communities.
The document, a cover note from the Council, outlines the revised plan that includes concrete measures such as delivering 579,000 digital notebooks to schools, raising teacher wages to at least 80% of the average tertiary graduate salary by 1 January 2025 (maintained until 31 December 2031), and providing a 12.5% wage premium for teachers in disadvantaged areas. It also constructs 110 childcare facilities, disburses EUR 152 million for school infrastructure, and introduces legislation to reduce State support by 10% for schools where the share of disadvantaged students is more than 20 percentage points below the local average. In the workforce component, the plan revises 15 higher education programmes, develops 1,000 digital learning materials, renovates or constructs 25,145 m² of higher education buildings, and delivers 22,300 ICT items, with public trust funds excluded as recipients. It also renovates 57,000 m² in vocational centres and the Central Examination Centre in Budapest, and signs 14 research grant agreements.
The catching-up settlements component installs 15,000 kWp of photovoltaic capacity, subsidises electricity for 1,500 households, enrols 7,000 people in labour programmes, and includes 60 institutions in pedagogical development. The water management component establishes an action plan and water retention measures, alongside circular economy legislation. These additions are tied to Q2 2026 delivery deadlines, indicating a tight implementation timeline.
The proposed decision follows the original approval of Hungary's plan in December 2022, which had been subject to conditions related to rule-of-law concerns. The amendments come as Hungary seeks to access additional RRF funds, with the Council's approval required to unlock the revised allocations. The European Commission had earlier assessed the modified plan, and the Council's endorsement would formalise the changes, allowing disbursements to proceed.
The amendments carry significant implications for stakeholders. For Hungarian schools and teachers, the wage increases and digital infrastructure investments could improve working conditions and educational quality, though the reduction in State support for schools with high disadvantaged-student shares may strain those institutions' budgets. Higher education and vocational training centres stand to benefit from modernised facilities and equipment, but the exclusion of public trust funds from ICT deliveries may limit their access to resources. Households in catching-up settlements gain from subsidised electricity and labour programme enrolment, while the water management measures could enhance environmental sustainability, though they may impose compliance costs on businesses in the circular economy sector. The tight Q2 2026 deadlines could pressure implementing authorities to accelerate procurement and construction, potentially affecting delivery quality.
Following the Council's approval, the European Commission will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the revised milestones and targets, with disbursements contingent on satisfactory progress. The European Parliament has previously scrutinised Hungary's plan, and its committees may review the amended assessment in the coming months.