Brussels Reviews Govt Support for Audi Expansion

Budapest, November 21 (MTI) – The European Commission is scrutinising more than one hundred million euros in state support for the recent expansion of German carmaker Audi’s base in Győr, in western Hungary, daily Magyar Nemzet said today.

The commission confirmed to the paper that is reviewing whether the support conforms to rules on state aid, which the commission’s website shows is 133.3 million euros.

The economy ministry told the paper that the government had approved “44.96 billion forints (EUR 150.03m) in support, which at current value is equivalent to 39.95 billion forints (EUR 133.3m)”.

The paper noted the government had initially proposed support of 11.2 billion forints, a quarter of the amount.

Audi launched production at the 900-million-euro expansion at its base in Gyor in 2013. The added capacity is a factor in Hungary’s growing industrial output and economic growth.