Bulgaria, Romania Schengen accession one of Hungary’s greatest achievements, says official
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The decision by European Union interior ministers on Bulgaria and Romania’s accession to the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone is one of historic significance and one of the most important achievements of the Hungarian EU presidency, the chief of Hungary’s Permanent Representation to the EU said on Friday.
Speaking to Bulgarian news agency BTA, Bálint Ódor noted that on Thursday EU interior ministers decided to remove checks on persons at the internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania from Jan 1, 2025. “This achievement is not only significant for Bulgaria and Romania but also for the European Union and, of course, for Hungary,” Ódor said.
He said that during its six-month presidency of the Council of the EU, Hungary had managed to achieve a consensus on key policy objectives in areas like migration and the common agriculture policy, “which will guide EU actions for the next five years”. He said progress had also been made on the Hungarian presidency’s top priority of improving the bloc’s competitiveness.
Ódor said Hungary had also aimed to speed up the accession procedure of the Western Balkan countries. He said the opening of the first stage of accession talks with Albania had been another breakthrough. In response to a question, he said transatlantic relations will always be crucial for the EU. Hungary, he said, had a “good relationship” with US President-elect Donald Trump, adding he believed the country could “act as a bridge”.
Tuzson: Hungarian presidency will have last impact on EU competitiveness
Hungary’s EU presidency will be talked about “for a very long time” as its approach to competitiveness will have a lasting effect on how the whole bloc functions, Bence Tuzson, the justice minister, said in Brussels on Friday.
Speaking before a meeting of the Council of Justice Ministers, Tuzson said Hungary’s presidency had highlighted the importance of taking a broad approach to competitiveness that “permeates the operations of the entire European Union … in all areas, from civil law, the economy to criminal law.”
Competitiveness, he added, was a priority as Europe lagged behind its competitors. The Hungarian presidency has promoted matters that help improve the bloc’s competitiveness, the minister said.