Hongaarse minister van Europese Zaken wil zich richten op uitbreiding Schengengebied (en)

“It is unlikely that Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko, will be invited to the Eastern Partnership summit in May,” said Eniko Gyori, Minister of State for EU Affairs, in the Belgian Federal Parliament, after she presented the Hungarian EU Presidency’s programme. She added that the Belarusian people cannot be let down.

On 24 January 2011, Eniko Gyori appeared before a joint committee, including members of both chambers of the Belgian Parliament and Belgian MEPs to present the priorities of the EU Presidency’s programme. The meeting was chaired by Flemish liberal politician, Herman De Croo, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, a veteran of Belgian politics. The Hungarian Presidency’s programme was received positively by delegates who expressed their support without objection.

Schengen enlargement: Presidency working on acceptable compromise

In response to questions by delegates, the Minister of State said that the Hungarian Presidency considers the treaties and other related EU rules as prevalent laws, concerning the accession of Bulgarian and Romania to the Schengen Area. Such enlargement calls for the compliance of explicit requirements and the unanimous decision of member states. On the one hand, both member states have done a great deal to meet these requirements, and this should be confirmed by the EU. On the other, accession has no unanimous support within the Council. The Hungarian Presidency is working on a compromise that will be acceptable for all 27 member states.

“The fight against child poverty is part of the Europe 2020 Strategy, in particular the fight against poverty and social inclusion,” said Ms Gyori. This task cannot finish at the end of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, but must remain a long term engagement, since poverty is unacceptable in the most developed region of the world. The Hungarian Presidency placed the question on the agenda of the Council for Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Protection with a view to Council conclusions.

Regarding Eurobonds, Eniko Gyori repeated what the Hungarian Prime Minister told the EP’s plenary meeting on 19 January:”we support the idea in principle, but member states must first coordinate and consolidate their public finances.”

Concerning Turkey, Ms Gyori said, “This country has a place in Europe, because it is not in anyone’s interest to have an unfriendly Turkey.”

Eastern Partnership: Unlikely invitation of President Lukashenko

“In the neighbourhood policy, we consider the Eastern and Mediterranean dimension equally important,” said the Minister of State, but during the Hungarian Presidency’s term, the second Eastern Partnership summit will be held in Hungary. “Belarus’ invitation to the summit is uncertain. President Lukashenko’s invitation is unlikely, but we cannot let the Belarusian people down,” said Eniko Gyori, who thinks that the Hungarian Presidency considers the Eastern Partnership as a project-based policy: in a joint political framework, it would agree on programmes by partner countries and by different areas.

Eniko Gyori at Parliament Magazine Reception

The Parliament Magazine hosted Minister of State Eniko Gyori as a special guest at its traditional Presidency Reception in Brussels on 26 January 2011. Scottish MEP Catherine Stihler, editor-in-chief of the EP’s magazine, welcomed the Hungarian Presidency in a special article in the magazine’s latest issue. At the event, Ms Stihler greeted the Hungarian Minister of State for EU Affairs as a former fellow MEP and an old friend.

The Minister of State gave a brief presentation on the Hungarian Presidency’s philosophy to invited MEPs and the Brussels-based lobbyists of international companies. “We want to work for a strong Europe with a human dimension. Common policies and institutions have to operate by bringing European citizens genuine benefits. This will be a Parliament-friendly presidency: our ambition is to promote inter-institutional cooperation, because European citizens do not expect results from the European Parliament, the Council or the Commission separately, but from ‘Brussels’.”