The European Commission has given Hungary a month to address EU concerns about the rule of law before asking European Union governments to suspend some of the funding Hungary is supposed to receive as part of the bloc's 2021-2027 budget, Reuters reported.

The new deadline is part of an EU process called the "conditionality mechanism," designed to protect EU financial interests from violations of the rule of law by the EU government. It is separate from other rule of law procedures the EU has launched against Hungary.

The Commission believes that EU money is at risk in Hungary because of what it calls corruption, which can take the form of tenders for EU-funded projects in which only one bidder, usually affiliated with the ruling party, participates.

The EC is also concerned about the independence of the judiciary, media and nongovernmental organizations.

Hungary proposed this week to reduce the number of open tenders in which only one bidder participates to 15% of the total. It also proposed allowing courts to order prosecutors to handle cases, even if prosecutors chose not to, and making lawmaking in Hungary more transparent and inclusive.

Because of concerns about budget money, the European Commission launched a "conditionality mechanism" against Hungary in April. In the end, it could lead to the suspension of 21 billion euros for Hungary from the EU budget.

The EC said Friday that it had instructed European Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn to inform Budapest of the measures the Commission intends to propose to EU governments if Hungary's corrective measures prove inadequate.

"Hungary has now one month within which it can submit its observations and any additional information, in particular on the proportionality of the measures envisaged by the Commission," the EU executive arm said.