| Last year was successful for the European Union, the foreign minister said in connection with the government’s report. The Lisbon Treaty was adopted, advances were made in the field of integrated energy and climate policy and the Lisbon competitiveness strategy’s schedule for the next three years was adopted. Romania and Bulgaria joined the Union and Slovenia introduced the euro. In addition, EU citizens benefited directly from a number of Union policies. The foreign minister noted the reduction in mobile-phone roaming charges and the liberalisation of the postal system as examples. A significant achievement from Hungary’s point of view was joining the Schengen system. The opening of the EU labour market continued with Luxembourg and Holland, while Germany, Austria and France eased restrictions. Kinga Göncz emphasised that Hungary has become actively and favourably engaged in forming European policy as well as the debates over Europe’s future. Another important point is that the government adopted in 2007 the National European Policy Strategy. The Committee – with the majority of nine Socialist and Free Democrat votes against seven of the Young Democrats and Christian Democrats endorsed the report as qualified for general debate. The Committee unanimously proposed that the report and the issues discussed therein should be put to a plenary debate in Parliament. The 85-page document declares the year 2007 an unambiguous success with reference to the further building of Europe. The first part of the report deals with issues related to Hungary’s role as a European Union member while the second part sums up the European Union’s most important goals and developments in 2007, as well as Hungary’s aspirations and interests. Kinga Göncz, speaking to the European Affairs Committee on the subject of Hungary’s preparations for the country’s European Union presidency in 2011, said that the first round of selections for nominated officials had closed in April. In selecting nominees for the presidency team, it is useful to choose from among officials who are already engaged with Union issues, and are working for the Hungarian case within the EU institutions. The primary constituent of the selected circle is a working group of around 260 officials for the European Council, and a group of officials involved in co-ordinating tasks connected to the presidency on a central and ministerial level. This latter team will have about 800 members to constitute a presidency group. It is important to emphasise that they are already engaged with EU issues. The ministries have been able to select the appropriate personnel for a large majority of tasks from among officials engaged in Union issues, and therefore they are all experienced officials suitable for presidency-related tasks due to their commitment to the success of the Hungarian presidency and their readiness to accept the increased responsibilities and tasks it will entail. The selection of the officials is advancing at an appropriate pace and there is no slippage in preparations. In the autumn the second round of selection will commence, which will already be subject to an open competition. According to plans the selected officials must start the autumn with English and French courses as well as presidency-related training. The foreign minister said that Hungary was ahead in the state of its preparations from among the presidential trio (Hungary plus Spain and Belgium). It is also the case that Hungary is the only one among the three countries that is taking on the presidency for the first time and therefore more time is needed for its preparations. The informal negotiations between Spain, Belgium and Hungary have already got under way. All three countries consider intensive co-operation and common preparations to be important. Following the formation of the new Spanish and Belgian governments, state secretaries for European affairs will hold the first official meeting on May 7 in order to review the possible frameworks for the trio’s co-operation. Kinga Göncz added that within the context of the EU general perspectives the key issues of the Hungarian presidency would be the review of the Union budget, the revision of the Lisbon Strategy on competitiveness, climate policy, immigration, enlargement, neighbourhood policy and regional policy. (May 6, 2008) |