Hungary’s EU presidency 2024

Hungarian EU affairs minister: EU Presidency brought about ‘historic decisions’

Notwithstanding “multiple crises, a transitional institutional period of severe political headwinds and institutional obstruction”, Hungary brought about “historic decisions” under its EU presidency, János Bóka, the EU affairs minister, told a press conference on Tuesday.

Hungary’s EU Presidency

He noted the Budapest Declaration aimed at boosting the bloc’s competitiveness following an unanimous decision by EU leaders, the full Schengen membership of Romania and Bulgaria from Jan 1, and the twin summits held in Budapest on Nov 7-8, namely that of the European Political Community and the informal meeting of the European Council, “the biggest diplomatic event in Hungary’s history”.

Fully 39 formal council meetings were held in Brussels and Luxembourg during the presidency, while 14 informal ministerial meetings were held in Budapest, including the first meeting of ministers responsible for demography, Bóka noted.

Also, nine political trialogue agreements were ushered through the European Parliament under Hungary’s presidency, he said, also noting the adoption of a council declaration on the fight against anti-Semitism. Regarding the Budapest Declaration, Bóka said the document set out specific expectations with deadlines, though the Hungarian government was disheartened by early signals regarding its implementation, he added.

The minister also noted the adoption of strategically important policy decisions such as the ministerial declaration on the future of the common agricultural policy and cooperation in justice and home affairs. The presidency, meanwhile, oversaw the institutional transition so that EU institutions and their new leaders could start operating on Dec 1, he said. Hungary was fair mediator, he said, yet it also presided over a strong political presidency that demonstrated the need for change and “the possibility of a real European alternative”.

The current Polish EU Presidency should take these initiatives forward, he said, adding that it did not bode well, however, that Poland was “mixing its bilateral and internal political conflicts” into its presidency. Bóka said the US presidential election and changes in the European Parliament presaged change, which “must be forced through by member states, including Hungary”. He added that 2025 was therefore likely to be a year of conflicts.

Bóka noted that a permanent team for the EU’s common security and defence policy had been set up under the Hungarian presidency. He said the working group had completed preparations for a common European defence industry strategic concept but “could not get over the threshold” in the European Council. He said he trusted the subsequent Polish presidency could complete the task before preparations for the next seven-year budget.

The Polish presidency is not part of negotiations concerning community funding for Hungary, Bóka said, adding that the country had met all preconditions for accessing the funds and “they are being withheld exclusively for putting political pressure [on Hungary].” The Hungarian government will use all legal and political means to ensure that “Hungarians have access to what is owed to them,” he added.

Answering a question about Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s peace mission, Bóka said the EU’s strategy concerning the war in Ukraine “does not require consensus”, so the Hungarian presidency had had “extremely limited room to come up with initiatives”. “The prime minister, however, felt a moral and political responsibility to do something towards securing a ceasefire and meaningful peace talks,” Bóka said. Orbán exhibited “remarkable political courage” when he embarked on his peace mission, and “the positive results are now obvious,” he said.

The minister said the EU presidency had been handed over to Poland “in the customary, formal manner”. Concerning Hungary’s granting political asylum to former Polish justice minister Marcin Romanowski, Bóka said such a move “should not be a burden on any [foreign] relations… This has been a legal process in which the Hungarian authorities observed all rules”.

He also added that a Hungarian court would deal with the possible implementation of an European warrant Poland has issued against the former minister. Granting political asylum “is not taking a stance whether the applicant is guilty or not guilty”, Bóka said, insisting that the basis for such a decision was “whether procedural concerns have a foundation or not”. In Romanowski’s case those concerns are “obviously not unfounded”, he said. “This case should not affect the activities of the Polish presidency”.

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Hungarian government commissioner: Hungary outperformed in EU presidency tasks

Hungary outperformed when it came seeing to its EU presidency duties in the second half of last year, Zoltán Kovács, the government commissioner in charge of preparations and operative implementation of the programme, told a press conference on Tuesday.

Hungary’s EU presidency

All those who contributed to the organisation, implementation, logistics, security and communications did a “professional and world-class job”, and “deserve praise for the political results and content”, Kovács said, adding all tasks had been completed “without undue strain”, even when the workload was heavy. According to Kovács, 173 events were held as opposed to 177 planned, while 240, including fringe events, were held overall. Hungary’s presidency’s also hosted two major summits, he added.

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Hungarian government: Hungarian EU presidency ‘brought common sense to Brussels’

The Hungarian European Union presidency brought common sense to Brussels, a government official for EU affairs said on Monday.

Hungarian EU presidency evaluated

While Europe is still under migration pressure, the problems can at last be addressed thanks to the Hungarian EU presidency, Barna Pál Zsigmond, parliamentary state secretary for EU affairs, told a press conference on the topic of illegal migration. He said Hungary’s programme had given “real answers to real problems”, adding that Hungary’s was the “most successful EU presidency ever”.

The official also noted Hungary’s efforts towards boosting the bloc’s competitiveness, strengthening its defence industry, promoting enlargement and a farmer-focused agricultural policy. But combatting irregular migration and protecting the external borders was its top priority, he added. The state secretary said Hungary had always taken a common-sense and prudent stance on the issue of migration.

He said the EU’s migration pact was a “flawed legal document” that insisted on “quotas and migrant ghettos”. Instead of stopping illegal migration the policies encouraged it, he insisted. With the recent terrorist attacks, illegal migration was increasingly seen as a security risk, he said, arguing that effective action included protecting the external borders, operating an expulsion system and combatting human smugglers. All this was possible with a “right-wing turn in Brussels and member states”, he added. Hungary, he declared, would not turn into “an immigration country”, and 2025 would herald change in this respect.

György Bakondi, the prime minister’s chief advisor on domestic security, said that the situation in 2024 had remained unchanged in terms of where migrants were coming from and activity of human smugglers, adding that Soros NGOs continued to finance migration. He also referred to “no-go zones”, severe terrorist acts and widespread violence against women. The left-liberal media, he said, paid scant attention to this.

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European Council President thanks Hungary for successful EU presidency

antónio costa viktor orbán eu presidency

António Costa, President of the European Council, has thanked Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his team for their work performed during Hungary’s EU presidency in the past half year.

“Thank you, Viktor Orbán and the [Presidency] team for your work during the 6 months of your presidency of the Council,” Costa said in an entry posted on social media platform X. “Köszönjuk Magyarország!” he wrote in Hungarian. Hungary held the rotating EU presidency for the second time between July and December 2024. It held the first presidency in January-June 2011.

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Orbán cabinet says Hungary’s EU presidency has been “strong, active, strategic”

Hungary's EU presidency

Hungary’s presidency of the Council of the European Union was a “distinctive, active and strategic” presidency, János Bóka, the EU affairs minister, said late on Monday.

“The presidency was distinctive because we aimed to put a decisive and strong Europe policy into practice,” Bóka said in a video message on Facebook. He said the presidency had been active because of the series of initiatives Hungary had undertaken over the six-month period. Further, the Hungarian presidency “was strategic because we aimed to provide strategic guidance to the European Union’s institutions for the next five-year institutional cycle,” Bóka said.

Hungary’s EU presidency in figures

Boglárka Bólya, Ministerial Commissioner for Training, Personnel Coordination and Social Relations during the EU Presidency, summed up the past six months:

  • 39 formal Council meetings and 52 high-level meetings took place in Brussels.
  • 14 informal meetings were chaired by Hungarian ministers in Budapest and 1204 working group meetings were chaired by Hungarian experts.
  • 93 Presidency events were held in Brussels and 180 in Hungary.
  • More than 20,000 guests were welcomed at events in Hungary.
  • Hungary hosted the 5th European Political Community (EPC) Summit, which is considered the largest diplomatic event ever held in the country, and took steps towards the institutionalisation of the EPC. At the informal European Council in November, the leaders of the Member States adopted the Budapest Declaration, which sets out the European Union’s competitiveness priorities for many years to come.
  • It is an achievement of historic proportions that Romania and Bulgaria have become full members of the Schengen area.
  • It also gave new impetus to the enlargement process in the Western Balkans, with the first informal meeting of demography ministers. As we wrote earlier, Hungarian EU Presidency makes milestone progress on enlargement for Serbia, Montenegro, and Albania
  • Progress has been made on all the priorities set and he underlined the work done to promote Jewish life.

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Attention! Hungary reintroduces Schengen border control on the entry side from this country

PM Orbán says Christmas ceasefire and large-scale POW swap are realistic

Viktor Orbán EU summit press conference

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Thursday that there was no consensus within the European Union regarding the war in Ukraine, so everything had to be done in connection with the war within the framework of bilateral diplomacy and not on behalf of the Hungarian EU presidency.

Ceasefire at Orthodox Christmas?

Orbán told a joint press conference with President of the European Council Antonio Costa and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen after the EU summit in Brussels that the Ukraine war was the most important political issue but he had essentially no room for maneuvering on the matter because there was no consensus in the EU and it was therefore not possible to act on behalf of the European Council.

“So everything that could be done in the issue of the war had to be done independently from the presidency, not under the presidency’s framework. Actually under the arrangements of bilateral diplomacy,” Orbán said.

Orbán said much had been done, for instance a proposal for a Christmas ceasefire which had been presented outside the framework of the presidency.

In response to a question, he said he was aware that everyone wanted lasting peace and was thinking along the line of greater geopolitical context but Hungary had its own limits such as its size and its international influence corresponded to that.

He said he could see no obstacle to preventing the death of people in the frontline during the two or three days of Orthodox Christmas and to an agreement between the sides about the exchange of 700 prisoners from each side.

Viktor Orbán EU summit press conference
Photo: FB/Orbán

He added that this might be a small achievement compared to geopolitical goals, but if a few thousand fewer people die during Christmas, and if a few hundred or thousand fathers can return home to their families, it will be a European value.

We must take back leadership from the generals

Answering another question, Orbán said that he had seen in the past three years that there was no solution to the war on the battlefield. “I have seen some combative statements, military maneuvers, new weapons, hundreds of thousands dying, hundreds of thousands getting crippled, and who knows how many widows and orphans,” he added. Orbán said it was time for diplomacy to take back leadership from the generals, otherwise the war will not end within the foreseeable future.

In response to a question about how Donald Trump would end the Russia-Ukraine war as US president “in 24 hours”, Orbán said he had no authorisation to talk about the plans of other leaders. He said he had personally met Trump in the past two weeks, had a very long discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and also met the president of Turkiye. He added that “even if everyone has something on their mind” he could only speak about his own plans.

Assessing the Hungarian presidency coming to an end on December 31, Orbán expressed thanks to von der Leyen and the EC for their excellent cooperation, and said that they had been able to put aside all political disputes in order to advance important matters. He also expressed thanks to Costa and his predecessor Charles Michel, saying that they had also done much in the interest of success.

Hungary’s political presidency

Orbán said there had been unprecedented security challenges in the past six months, with wars in Ukraine, in the Middle East and Africa, with a permanent danger of escalation. Illegal migration and its consequences threaten with the disintegration of the Schengen area, and economic indicators show that the EU is losing its global competitiveness, falling increasingly behind the main economic competitors.

In the meantime, the other global players have ambitious plans, with “some wanting to stay great and some wanting to become great”. As a result, Orbán said it had been decided that Hungary would operate a political presidency and not a bureaucratic one. He added that a great amount of work had been invested in the past six months, with the entire Hungarian state apparatus working to ensure that progress was being made.

In terms of competitiveness, Orbán said the Budapest declaration deserved historic attention considering that it calls for “a revolutionary streamlining”, affordable energy, supporting SMEs, and sets deadlines for the fulfillment of each task.

Orbán said another important point of the Hungarian presidency was that ministers responsible for demographic challenges met for the first time in the EU’s history to discuss the future of Europe’s demographics.

He also said that progress had been made in enlargement policy in the Western Balkans which had been blocked for a long time, talks could be started with Albania, three intergovernmental conferences were held and the organisation of an intergovernmental conference with Serbia is within reach.

Romania, Bulgaria Schengen accession huge success, says Orbán

The Hungarian prime minister noted that a decision about the full membership of Bulgaria and Romania in the EU’s Schengen zone had been made under the Hungarian presidency. The issue he said had been on the agenda for the past thirteen years and Hungary had held talks over six months with countries that had opposed the integration of the two countries. As a result, the full integration of the two countries will take effect on January 1, he said.

The current Hungarian presidency was the first occasion that 27 agriculture ministers managed to reach an agreement on the Common Agricultural Policy’s future, he said.

Orbán said that “we have also managed to adopt a declaration on fighting anti-Semitism and promoting Jewish life”. The declaration establishes that there is an alarmingly high-level of anti-Semitism in the EU and the community has a shared responsibility to make every possible effort towards reducing it, he said.

Orbán said that he became increasingly convinced over the past six months that the only possible way to the success, even the survival, of the European Union was if the EU makes itself more ambitious and undertakes “great things”.

“The Hungarian presidency’s slogan to make Europe great again was not a joke,” the prime minister said, adding that this was the only way for the EU to regain its competitiveness and to survive.

Asked about transatlantic cooperation, Orbán said there was full agreement at the summit that the future and security of Europe depended heavily on whether transatlantic cooperation could be maintained.

As regards the inauguration of the new US president on January 20, Orbán’s advice to the EU was to have “strategic patience and calm”, suggesting that “they should do nothing that would make future strategic cooperation within transatlantic relations more difficult”.

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Hungary faces point of no return under Orbán, says Polish minister – from experience

Hungary may have reached a point where it cannot reverse its defiance of EU laws and erosion of civil society as long as Viktor Orbán remains in power, Poland’s justice minister, Adam Bodnar, has warned.

Drawing from Poland’s recent experience, Bodnar stated that illiberal governments rarely change course under external pressure without a change in leadership. Speaking to Politico in Brussels, he explained,

“The example of Poland shows that unless you have a change of leadership, it might be extremely difficult to reverse [course on] rule of law and to regain democratic values.”

Adam Bodnar Hungary Orbán
Adam Bodnar. Photo: MTI/Purger Tamás

His remarks come in response to EU Rule-of-Law Commissioner Michael McGrath’s recent statement that it is “never too late” for Hungary to align with EU principles. However, Hungary risks losing EUR 1 billion in frozen EU funds due to ongoing rule-of-law violations.

Even if Orbán is defeated, it will not be easy to repair the damage

Bodnar cautioned that even if opposition leader Péter Magyar defeats Orbán in the 2026 election, the extensive damage to Hungary’s institutions and civil society after 16 years of Fidesz rule would require immense effort to repair. With a weaker civil society compared to Poland, the European Commission faces a daunting task in reintegrating Hungary into the EU fold, he added.

Having served as Poland’s Ombudsman from 2015 to 2021, Bodnar was a vocal critic of the nationalist Law and Justice government before becoming justice minister under Prime Minister Donald Tusk in 2023.

His comments coincide with preparations for Poland to take over the EU Council presidency from Hungary in January. Bodnar emphasised strengthening civil society protections across the bloc, especially for judges facing pressure and intimidation.

“Judges must be free to speak about their circumstances,” he said, referencing the challenges Hungarian judges face. “We have a duty to protect all independent voices.”

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Hungarian minister: Breakthrough achieved in Western Balkans enlargement under Hungary’s leadership

Enlargement policy and advancing enlargement in the Western Balkans have been among the key priorities of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union, the EU affairs minister said in Brussels on Tuesday, adding that the Hungarian presidency had been successful in accomplishing this task.

The European Union achieved a breakthrough in the area of enlargement during the Hungarian presidency, János Bóka told a joint press conference with EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos after a meeting of the General Affairs Council.

Two intergovernmental conferences were held with Albania during the Hungarian presidency where two clusters were opened, he said. Also, an intergovernmental conference was held with Montenegro, which has led to the closing of accession chapters, and after three years, progress has also been made on Serbia’s EU integration, he added.

Boka said this opened the door to holding an intergovernmental conference with Serbia in the first months of 2025 where a new cluster could be opened.

He said Wednesday’s EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels would give EU leaders an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to the Western Balkans’ EU integration.

Meanwhile, Boka said EU affairs ministers had also discussed EU-UK and EU-Switzerland relations. He said both countries were important allies of the bloc, expressing hope that that talks with Switzerland that started in the spring could be concluded this year.

Concerning the Dec 19 European Council summit, Boka said EU leaders are set to discuss the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East, including the war in Gaza and the de-escalation efforts between Israel and Lebanon.

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Hungarian EU Presidency makes milestone progress on enlargement for Serbia, Montenegro, and Albania

The Hungarian EU Presidency has focused on the Western Balkans, and the Government considers their engagement in the integration process to be particularly successful.

Three Montenegro EU accession chapters closed

Three EU accession chapters with Montenegro have been closed, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, in Brussels on Monday, adding that after 7.5 years, the integration process was speeding up thanks to the Hungarian EU presidency.

After the EU-Montenegro Intergovernmental Conference, Szijjártó told a press conference that Hungary’s presidency prioritised enlargement in view of the importance of stability, peace and development in the Western Balkans.

He said that the region’s countries have been in the EU membership corridor for 15 years on average, adding that in the absence of rapid progress, “we’d be putting not only the credibility of enlargement policy at risk but that of the entire EU in peril, too”.

He said Montenegro submitted its application in 2008, became a candidate in 2010, and negotiations began in 2012.

A merit-based process in theory had not worked in practice, “and somehow enlargement didn’t make progress even if the performance of candidate countries was good”.

Negotiation chapters on intellectual property rights, media, and enterprise and industrial policy were closed, he noted, adding that the last time the EU wrapped up a negotiation chapter with Montenegro was seven and a half years ago.

Szijjártó said Montenegro brought strength, momentum, freshness to the bloc, “something that we sorely need”, and “mutual benefits for Montenegro and the whole EU”.

Montenegro brought few risks as the bloc could easily handle the increase in population, he said. He added that as a NATO and a unilateral adopter of the euro currency, adaptation would be smooth.

Hungary’s largest bank, OTP, “is the market leader in Montenegro”, and Hungarian telecommunications company 4iG also plays an important role in Montenegro’s digitalisation development, he said.

Montenegro’s prime minister, Milojko Spajic, expressed gratitude to the Hungarian presidency for its work in speeding up the enlargement process.

Major progress made in the Serbian EU accession process

The Hungarian EU presidency has made a major step forward in advancing EU enlargement as EU affairs ministers in Brussels have approved opening a third chapter group for Serbia, according to a presidency statement on Tuesday.

Balint Odor, the head of Hungary’s Permanent Representation to the European Union, has sent a letter to the Serbian head of EU Mission on behalf of the Council of the European Union, inviting Serbia to submit its negotiating position on Chapter 16 on taxation and Chapter 19 on social policy and employment, which belong to the third group of chapters covering the topic of competitiveness and inclusive growth, the statement said.

This “significant step” for Serbia energises accession negotiations and the enlargement process, Odor wrote on the X platform.

The EU Council has held two intergovernmental conferences. On Monday, three accession chapters were closed with Montenegro, while on Tuesday the second group was opened with Albania, the statement noted.

read also: Hungary strengthening ties with Bosnia and Herzegovina

EU opens new accession chapters with Albania

The European Union has opened new accession chapters with Albania for the second time in two months, Szijjártó said in Brussels on Tuesday, calling the development “a great success” for Albania and the Hungarian EU presidency.

Hungary is clear-eyed about the importance of the region’s stability, peace, and progress. Szijjártótold a press conference after the EU-Albania intergovernmental conference, noting that the presidency prioritised the bloc’s enlargement.

Western Balkan countries have been waiting for EU membership for an average of 15 years, Szijjártó said. “That is unacceptably long and disrespectful to those countries,” he said.

EU presidency
Photo: MTI

Albania applied for membership in 2009 and became a membership candidate in 2014. Negotiations started in 2022, “but we had to wait until 2024, and the Hungarian presidency for the actual process to start,” Szijjártó said. The past two months, he added, had seen more progress than the previous 15 years.

Szijjártó said that opening the chapters relating to foreign ties and security policy was a good decision in view of Albania’s “excellent performance” in the field. The country, he said, was a reliable NATO ally and “has performed well in the UN Security Council”.

The minister said that Hungary had firsthand experience on the “enormous progress” that Albania’s economy had made in the past few years, as Hungarian companies in top positions on the Albanian market could attest to.

Hungary and Albania earlier signed an agreement on the training of 50 Albanian public servants at the Hungarian Diplomatic Academy, “because Hungary well remembers how complicated the EU accession process can be,” he said.

Asked about a remark by Estonian counterpart Margus Tsahkna that he felt Szijjártó was “playing for another team”, the minister said he was “absolutely right”. “We play for another team: he’s on the pro-war team, and I’m on the pro-peace team.”

read also: Hungary praises Albania’s progress on path to integration

Bulgaria, Romania Schengen accession one of Hungary’s greatest achievements, says official

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.

End of Schengen at Hungarys borders
Source: FB/Hungarian Police

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.

Concerning the council meeting’s agenda, Tuzson said it would include a proposal to promote the application of artificial intelligence in justice, in order to make procedures faster and more efficient.

In terms of criminal law, Tuzson said it was important to adopt a planned directive aimed at preventing people smuggling. “If the EU wants to protect Europe’s borders it will need to take more effective measures against smugglers,” he said. He called for “firm and clear” action by the EU “to facilitate prevention of people smuggling across borders.”

The aim is to make EU members more competitive

Tuzson said passing European legislation against the sexual harassment and exploitation of children was a priority of the Hungarian presidency. The resulting new rules will increase international cooperation to investigate such cases and to take perpetrators to court, he added.

The Hungarian presidency made “unprecedented progress” on a directive concerning economic competitiveness and bankruptcy procedures, Tuzson said, adding that uniform regulations were necessary “to make European countries increasingly competitive and help them stand the test of time in decades to come”.

The minister was asked about money laundering charges against former EU commissioner Didier Reynders, and he said “such cases undermine trust in the EU” and called on the European Commission to do everything to restore people’s trust in European institutions.

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Tuzson said one of the most important achievements of the Hungarian presidency had been a change in direction in the bloc in terms of shifting the focus of EU policies to the improvement of European competitiveness.

Tuzson said the Hungarian presidency had managed to ensure that every EU policy has to be considered from the point of view of whether it helps improve competitiveness.

The Budapest Declaration on a new European Competitiveness Deal establishes a comprehensive principle that competitiveness has to be a key consideration in all areas, the minister said.

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Hungarian finance minister: Budapest Declaration reaffirms importance of competitiveness

With the approval of the Budapest Declaration on the New European Competitiveness Deal in November, the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union affirmed the importance of competitiveness, Finance Minister Mihály Varga said ahead of a meeting of the Economic and Financial Affairs Council in Brussels on Tuesday.

Budapest Declaration

Varga also highlighted the approval of the 2025 EU budget and the VAT in the Digital Age package among the successes of the Hungarian presidency.

He told journalists that the ECOFIN meeting, the last under the Hungarian presidency, would review the overall economic situation in the EU, debate the state of play of the energy taxation directive and discuss the recovery and resilience facility.

After the meeting, Varga said Hungary’s half-year EU presidency had achieved success in the endeavour to boost European competitiveness, pointing to the Budapest Declaration and the new VAT package as well as significant advances in customs reform and the capital markets union.

Varga Mihály Budapest Declaration reaffirms importance of competitiveness
Photo: Facebook / Varga Mihály

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EU Presidency: Hungarian Agriculture Minister points to importance of farmer-friendly policy after 2027

Agriculture Minister István Nagy highlighted the importance of a farmer-focused, farmer-friendly common agricultural policy in the period after 2027 ahead of a meeting of his European Union peers in Brussels on Monday.

Nagy, who is chairing the Agriculture and Fisheries Council as Hungary holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, said the text approved by the Council acknowledged the need to boost farming productivity, while ensuring living standards for farmers, stabilising markets and guaranteeing affordable prices for consumers.

He said a discussion of fishing opportunities in the Mediterranean and Black Seas would takes place at the meeting, adding that quotas established on the basis of scientific results were “extraordinarily low”.

Reports will also be delivered on a forest monitoring framework, biomass-based development and the BIOEAST initiative for cooperation on food security and agricultural sustainability in Central and Eastern Europe, he said. The ministers will also hear the results of a European apiculture sector conference, he added.

The two-day Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting will be the last during Hungary’s EU presidency.

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Border controls to disappear between Hungary and Romania: Key steps towards Schengen have been taken

EU Presidency: EU diplomats for Sahel meet in Chad

Official: Hungarian EU Presidency prioritises road safety and economic strengthening

Strengthening the European economy is the most important target of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of the European Union, and improving transport and road safety are key elements of this, an official of the ministry of construction and transport said on Thursday.

Bálint Nagy, the state secretary in charge of transport, said after a council meeting of ministers of transport that they had agreed on the council’s negotiating positions on key pieces of legislation for road safety and for reducing fatal accidents, injuries and material damage.

A statement by the Council of the European Union cited Nagy saying that it was a key piece of legislation for road safety in Europe. “By ending the relative impunity of non-resident serious traffic offenders, the new law – once adopted – will improve safety on European roads,” he said. “Drivers who had their driving licence withdrawn in one member state for serious breaches to road traffic rules, will be taken off the roads across the EU,” he added.

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Featured image: depositphotos.com

EU Presidency – Official: EU health ministers to discuss smoke- and aerosol-free environments in Brussels

European Union health ministers are scheduled to discuss smoke- and aerosol-free environments at a meeting of the council on employment, social policy, health and consumer protection in Brussels on Tuesday, Péter Takács, the state secretary for health, said.

Takács told journalists this key topic was based on the Hungarian law on the protection of non-smokers. He emphasised however that EU recommendation would not trample on the individual freedom of member states, and a ban on smoking in open spaces or on terraces was not on the agenda.

The proposals, he added, would help countries take effective measures to protect non-smokers while also aiding the EU’s plan to combat cancer.

He said cardiovascular diseases, still the top cause of death in the EU, are also high on today’s agenda, adding that emphasis would be placed on prevention, early detection, treatment methods, rehabilitation, and research.

Regarding organ donations and transplants, Takács said the aim was to enhance cooperation between member states.

After the meeting, Takács held a press conference with Olivér Várhelyi, the commissioner for health and animal welfare, and said that the Council had adopted the presidency’s recommendations on smoke- and aerosol-free environments, which further strengthened the protection of non-smokers and contributed to the EU’s goals in the fight against cancer.

The recommendations are not binding, Takács added.

The meeting also touched on connections between the “European health union” and the Draghi report, especially on boosting innovation, competitiveness and health care systems, he said. “Member states welcomed the opportunity to discuss the report … and highlighted the importance of maintaining high-quality patient care and keeping health care systems sustainable while boosting competitiveness,” he said.

Another important topic was the fight against cardiovascular diseases.

“To tackle that challenge, the Hungarian presidency has proposed adopting the Council’s conclusions on improving cardiovascular health, and today’s conclusions have emphasised that European-level measures must be strengthened, especially in prevention, early detection, screening, effective treatment, rehabilitation and research,” he said.

On the matter of organ donations and transplants, the Council conclusions are proposing revisiting an action plan to increase the circle of patients, he said.

Várhelyi said participants had agreed that a modernised, competitive and resilient European health care system was a priority. He also highlighted the importance of the supply chain and the need of further legislation to tackle “vulnerable links” in the chain, especially in the case of priority medicines.

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Hungary praises Albania’s progress on path to integration

Border controls to disappear between Hungary and Romania: Key steps towards Schengen have been taken

Hungary praises Albania’s progress on path to integration

Albania is making spectacular progress on the road to integration during Hungary’s EU presidency, which shows the entire Western Balkans that there is hope for accession, the foreign minister said on Thursday.

The foreign ministry cited Péter Szijjártó telling a joint press conference with Adea Pirdeni, Albania’s minister of state for public administration and anti-corruption, that the world was going through a decidedly dangerous period, with the increasing danger of the escalation of the war in Ukraine.

He added that the most dangerous two months of recent years were only just beginning and would last until the inauguration of the US President-elect Donald Trump.

Szijjártó said the security and economic situation of the European Union had weakened significantly, so new dynamism was needed. This new force and freshness could come from the ambitious countries of the Western Balkans that want to join it, he added.

“So speeding up EU enlargement is a real European interest, which fully coincides with Hungary’s national interests because peace, freedom and stability in our neighbourhood, in the Western Balkans, is in our fundamental interest,” he said.

“It is a very important objective of our responsible neighbourhood policy,” he said.

Szijjártó decried that the countries of the region had been kept waiting more than fifteen years on average in the accession corridor.

“If we cannot provide this opportunity, it will seriously harm the credibility of not only our enlargement policy but the whole of the EU, which should be avoided,” he said.

Szijjártó said Albania had made spectacular progress during the Hungarian EU presidency recently, with the start of its accession talks on essential matters.

“And now we’re working to ensure that EU organises another intergovernmental conference with Albania still under the Hungarian presidency in December — after the first group of chapters were opened at the first intergovernmental conference — and we can also open another group of negotiating chapters, namely the sixth, on external relations,” he said.

“Real accession talks have started: a new defence and security partnership agreement has been signed between the EU and Albania, and Albania has joined the Single Euro Payments Area,” he added.

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Border controls to disappear between Hungary and Romania: Key steps towards Schengen have been taken

romania hungary border ártánd schengen orbán

The Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper) has finalised the preparation of the Council Decision to lift internal land border checks with Bulgaria and Romania (i.e. for the two countries to join the Schengen Zone) starting on 1 January next year, the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union said on Wednesday.

In a video message posted on the X platform, the Presidency said that “after last week’s successful ministerial meeting in Budapest” where Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Austria agreed on a border protection package, “today marks a key step towards European integration and the enlargement of the Schengen Area”.

Bálint Ódor, the chief of Hungary’s Permanent Representation to the EU, said in the video that “the decision we just made in Coreper is an important milestone that holds special significance for Hungary”.

“During our first presidency in 2011, we played a key role in advancing the Schengen accession of both Bulgaria and Romania. Now during the second presidency, we have the honour of completing this process. Lifting checks on persons at internal land borders and between those two member states is a top priority for the Hungarian presidency.”

“With the decision of today, we made the final preparatory step in order to make it a reality. With this decision, we will strengthen unity, free movement and resilience across the EU. It is a win for Bulgaria, Romania and all of Europe!” he said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced in Budapest last Friday that EU interior ministers will vote on Dec 12 regarding a Hungarian proposal to allow Romania and Bulgaria to join the Schengen agreement.

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Orbán cabinet: Relations between Hungary and the UK to further strengthen

Cooperation in agriculture and trade must be further strengthened between Hungary and the UK, the minister of agriculture said in London on Tuesday.

Agriculture and trade relations between Hungary and the UK

István Nagy met Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner and Alistair Carmichael, the chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee, the ministry said in a statement. After the talks, Nagy said that despite the challenges affecting agriculture, Europe must be able to provide healthy food for its residents and maintain its role in global food supplies.

Nagy briefed Zeichner on the Hungarian EU presidency’s agriculture-related goals, and said that reducing food waste was one of the presidency’s priorities. Hungary set up a scheme in 2016 which has resulted in a more than 25 percent cut in food waste per person over 8 years, he added.

He said there was room for further cooperation in R and I and D, and in trade. The UK has remained a valuable market for Hungarian premium foodstuff, bottled wine, fruit, vegetables and animal feed, he added.

At talks with Carmichael, Nagy said Hungary was committed to promoting farmer-focused agrarian policies and competitive, crisis-proof, sustainable and knowledge-based agriculture for the future.

The Hungarian agrarian support system reflected social demand for making the environment better, for instance by further improving soil structures, he said. “Farming is not just work but a way of life which is also taken into consideration in legal regulations,” he said. All efforts must be made to strengthen safe food supplies and maintain a liveable rural environment, he added.

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Hungarian EU enlargement commissioner: Ten years of enlargement advances achieved in a single term

Oliver Várhelyi, the EU enlargement commissioner, said in Brussels on Monday that European Union integration, a priority of the Hungarian presidency, had advanced by ten years in a single term.

Várhelyi talks about EU enlargement

Briefing the European Parliament‘s foreign affairs committee, he called enlargement a down payment on the bloc’s future peace and economic prosperity.

In 2020 enlargement policy was revised to ensure procedures were made faster and more credible, with the rule of law placed at the centre of the accession process, he said.

He mentioned investments in connectivity, transport, digital energy and infrastructure and the mobilisation of private capital as potential advantages for aspiring members.

The past five years, he added, had seen a large proportion of EU investment plans made in connection with the Western Balkans and the Eastern and Southern regions.

Várhelyi said Serbia must speed up reforms and focus on the rule of law while seeking to normalise relations with Kosovo. Further, Belgrade must align itself with the EU’s foreign policy goals, adding that there was evidence, such as its “significant support” for Ukraine, that the country was oriented towards the EU.

Meanwhile, holders of a Kosovo passport are able to travel visa-free to the EU, he noted. Kosovo leaders, he added, must do more to win cross-party support for the implementation of reform and to ensure free speech.

Regarding Moldova, he noted the Oct 20 constitutional referendum with which the country opted to join the EU. Russia, he added, had mounted a “hybrid campaign” before the vote.

Turning to Ukraine, he said Kyiv should carry on working to curb systemic corruption, fight organised crime and protect minority rights.

Georgia’s accession negotiations have been suspended but hopefully they would soon continue, he said. If Tbilisi responded to EU concerns, the sides may resume talks, he added.

The commissioner referred to Turkiye as “an important partner” with which the EU maintained “good and fruitful” ties, even if accession talks had stalled.

The EU and Ankara were gradually deepening relations, and notwithstanding several problems in the relationship, “the constructive approach has led to results”, he said, also referring to cooperation on deterring migration and dialogue on the rule of law and democracy.

He said the EU also regarded reconciliation with Cyprus as an important matter, and he welcomed an improvement in Greece-Turkiye ties.

Ruling Fidesz MEP Viktória Ferenc during the ensuing debate noted the importance of the protection of minorities in Ukraine. Whereas legal protections for Transcarpathian Hungarians were now a part of Ukraine’s EU accession process, the full legal restoration of their minority rights was yet to take place, she added.

Opposition Tisza Party MEP Eszter Lakos asked Várhelyi what he saw as his enlargement policy legacy in the Western Balkans, questioning whether countries there found the enlargement process credible.

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