Hongaars voorzitterschap vooral tevreden over bereikte resultaten op economisch gebied (en)

The European Union has made a great step forward towards the reform of economic governance, said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán i, on 19 May 2011 in Brussels during the European Business Summit.

According to Mr Orbán, the EU is in a better situation than it was five months ago, and by the end of the Presidency’s term the necessary regulatory framework is expected to be in place. He confirmed: in the interest of the latter, the Presidency will do its best to reach an agreement with the European Parliament (EP) by the end of June, on matters still open and primarily concerning the six legislative proposals aimed at economic coordination; and the strengthening of the euro’s stability.

Viktor Orbán stressed that the EU still continues to face serious challenges, partly as a result of the international economic crisis. In his opinion, the best way to address them is by enhancing the economic coordination. In the related discussion, the head of government agreed that as a first reaction, many countries put more efficient protection on the national economy on the agenda, even if it meant the erection of barriers. But he was convinced that today, the danger of protectionism is less serious than it had been in the period following the outbreak of the crisis. Six months later, these countries also admitted that the EU’s common response is the most efficient way, he added.

Competitiveness requires boost of employment

The Hungarian Prime Minister emphasised on the need for the EU to accomplish a quick result, in the field of employment. The current 65 per cent rate cannot be maintained, it should be increased to 75 per cent, and within the shortest possible time if the EU wants to remain competitive. To achieve this, appropriate political governance is required. New challenges also require political leadership to develop new skills, among others, in order to provide better economic governance, he stated.

Central Europe has the greatest growth potential

Viktor Orbán also pointed out that the growing German economy is creating a more favourable situation for the Central European region. Not every region of the EU is able to benefit equally from this growth. Central Europe can achieve the fastest growth rate and cooperate most efficiently with the German economy, he said. . However, we can only exploit this if governments of the region can renew their countries and the economies. The renewal and reorganisation of Hungary have sparked off intense debates, but is steady progressing, Viktor Orbán said.

He stressed: modernisation is required in the region, but it must also be taken into consideration, that it has great capacities of traditional industry. He highlighted that one of the biggest challenges of the countries in central Europe is the dual structure of the economy, and the provision of assistance to small and medium enterprises is a key tool for addressing it.

Hungarian Presidency’s performance appreciated

Several participants of the business summit in Brussels, appreciated the performance of the Hungarian Presidency. Vincent van Quickenborne, the Belgian Minister responsible for the simplification of administration, stated that the Hungarian Presidency had completed a huge workload in order to develop the package of six legislative proposals.

After the meeting, Viktor Orbán said he was glad that Hungary could become the main guest of another European forum that, “Appreciated, recognised, perhaps even over-praised” the country’s performance in respect of the Presidency. The last six months has been a critical period for the EU, and a lot depended on what kind of leadership the Presidency could provide to the EU, he pointed out. He added by saying the conference also proves that the Presidency has resolved most of the tasks.

Croatia’s Accession: Hungarian Presidency fought well

Concerning Croatia’s accession negotiations, he said as the President of the Council, Hungary has fought well in this field, but there are still some obstacles to be removed in the last few weeks of the Presidency’s term. He pointed out that failing to close the negotiations would not be a big issue either, because the Presidency has obviously completed most of the work in this field. In worse case,If only a few technical issues might remain for the period after June, as the political decisions have already been made.

Schengen - the least progress

At the same time, Mr Orbán called the Schengen expansion a more difficult challenge, because as he stated - it is hard to separate the matter of Bulgaria and Romania from the issue of handling migratory flows from the south, with special regard to economic immigrants. According to him, in recent months, the EU has made the least progress in this field, despite the fact that the Presidency has invested the most energy into this matter, which primarily concerns the accession of Bulgaria and Romania. Here, adverse developments might also occur, stated the Prime Minister, stressing that the EU’s entire visa liberalisation policy is under pressure.

The European Business Summit (EBS), is one of the most prestigious forums for leaders of European business life and EU decision-makers. The summit on 18-19 May 2011 has been the ninth forum so far since its establishment.

(MTI)