The European Commission has launched proceedings that could eventually lead to a partial suspension of Hungary's support payments for violating the bloc's legal rules, AP reports.

The European Commission officially notified Hungary about the start of the process. The notification opens a round of discussions and Hungary has two months to provide explanations and propose remedies.

The case marks the first use of a new mechanism to allow the EU to take action to protect its budget, as the European Union's highest court ruled in February that the procedure was legally accepted.

The European Commission said that the main goal would be to reach an agreement so that the process could be stopped. If not, the process will continue and the commission will eventually make proposals for consideration by EU members.

The proposed measures, such as suspending payments or ordering financial corrections, must be proportionate, taking into account the impact of violations on the EU budget, the commission said. Therefore, a complete suspension of EU funding is unlikely. Any action requires the approval of a qualified majority of the members of the European Council - 55% of the member states representing at least 65% of the total population of the EU.

The new tool does not target EU members for general breaches of EU law, but was designed to protect EU financial interests from breaches affecting the bloc's overall budget.

The Commission decided to oppose Hungary due to concerns about the country's use of EU money, a perceived lack of proper anti-corruption procedures, and alleged violations of EU law.

Commission officials said Hungary has consistently failed to implement EU recommendations for more than 10 years.