Hongaars voorzitterschap: 'we zitten op het goede spoor met doelstellingen EU-voorzitterschap' (en)

The Hungarian Presidency managed to keep to its interim schedule, and meet most of its objectives so far. This was the assessment of the first three months of the Presidency’s term, made by Minister of State for EU Affairs, Eniko Gyori, in the European Parliament during the meeting of the Conference of Committee Chairs, on 5 April in Strasbourg.

In her mid-term assessment speech, Eniko Gyori reminded the Committee Chairs of the European Parliament (EP) that when they first met in November 2010 in the same circle, she had promised that the Hungarian Presidency would be Parliament-friendly; and she had asked them to be a Presidency-friendly Parliament. The smooth cooperation of the two institutions was in the best interest of the European citizens. In this spirit, she drew up the mid-term balance of the Presidency, and summed up the tasks of the remaining three months.

“We are on the right track, we have managed to keep to our interim schedule, and most of our aims have been met,” Ms Gyori remarked about the results of the Presidency’s first three months. She stressed that all Member States have recognised the proficiency and commitment of the Hungarian experts, and the achieved results of the Hungarian Presidency. “It is not in questions, that Hungary is well prepared in fulfilling the role of the Presidency,” Eniko Gyori said.

Swift steps on the international scene

Extraordinary events in Japan and in the southern neighbourhood of the EU, tested the Presidency’s ability to find the right answers and keeping the schedule of its own program at the same time, Eniko Gyori said. She recalled the ”swift steps,” the Presidency has taken in its areas of competence on international scenes, activating the Civil Protection Mechanism for the evacuation efforts in Libya, and coordinating the aid to Japan, the rapid adoption of sanction against the Gaddafi regime, putting the problem of migration on the agenda of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Her visit with Foreign Minister János Martonyi, to the region in North Africa, and summoning the Energy Council’s extraordinary meeting. Eniko Gyori indicated that the Presidency would continue to pay attention to the events, and would react promptly if necessary.

The Hungarian State Minister outlined the extent to which the Presidency has made progress in the fields of the Cohesion Policy, the Common Energy Policy, the Common Agricultural Policy, the Schengen enlargement, the accession of Croatia, the Roma Framework Strategy, the Danube Strategy, climate protection, and the single European patent. Eniko Gyori mentioned the legislative documents by which a closely cooperating Presidency and EP could reach a political agreement, in the first six months.

Six proposals: the Presidency is ready to enter into negotiations with the EP

The State Minister said that the most important priority of the Hungarian Presidency’s program, was to help Europe to overcome the crisis and create the foundations of the EU’s long term economic stability and competitiveness. In this effort, the six legislative proposals on the strengthening of the economic governance, has high importance. “Now, having a clear mandate, we are ready to enter into negotiations with the EP,” Ms Gyori announced, referring to the probable voting of the European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, over the legislative proposals on 20 April. She called attention on the fact that the Presidency had already been incontact with rapporteurs even at the highest level, and confirmed, the Presidency counted on continued good cooperation, with a view to adopt the full package in June.

The State Minister presented the experience of the European Semester, i.e. the recently introduced macro-economic coordination cycle, and was satisfied to find that the Council kept to the preset deadlines. The Presidency will do its best to make the Council discuss the Commission’s country specific recommendations, and enable the first European semester to close. Eniko Gyori informed the Committee Chairs of the Parliament that the Presidency would consider how the EP could be included in the process of the European semester.