[autom.vertaling] Goede prognose voor Hongarije (en)
Hungary has fared relatively well in the European Commission's assessment of its readiness for enlargement.
The country continues to fulfill the Copenhagen political criteria and the Commission's report concludes that it has a functioning market economy and can guarantee judicial independence.
Hungary is commended for making continuous progress in aligning with the acquis (the EU's body of legislation) in all areas, in particular the internal market, social policy, justice and home affairs, telecommunications and the energy sector.
Of note is the good progress made in the area of the environment through the adoption of legislation in the air, water, industrial pollution control and GMO sectors.
Outstanding problems
A number of areas still require further action by the candidate country. The Commission homes in on the on-going problems with the country's Roma minority. "Roma continue to suffer discrimination," it points out.
The planned adoption of a long-term strategy and comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation are expected to go a long way in tackling this situation.
Despite the adoption of a series of legal and practical measures to fight corruption, there is still cause for concern in this area. The Commission urges that these new decisions be implemented quicker to address the problem better. Weaknesses have also been identified in Hungarian financial control systems.
Strong public support
In an interview with Le Soir following the publication of the Commission's report, Hungarian Secretary of State, Péter Balazs, underlines that the Hungarian people are already convinced of the benefits of joining the EU.
"Out of the ten candidate countries, our government benefits from the best public support. The Union has an image of freedom and of sound economic health. It is synonymous with a high standard of living. This perception hasn't changed," he says.