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After Friday’s summit meeting Viktor Orbán said that the main achievement of the EU leaders’ summit in Brussels was related to strengthening the European Union’s defence capability. The Prime Minister said that there was full agreement on this, and all the Member States declared their desire to participate in the emerging system.

In his press conference the Prime Minister stressed that if a European army is eventually formed, today’s summit will be written into the history books as its moment of conception.

He said that strengthening the EU's defence is important, as military strength can underpin the continent’s economic and political strength, and it would bring about consistency and a rationality in military procurement, according to the principle of balance.

Mr. Orbán said that on this occasion also the European Council meeting was dominated by the agenda item related to migration, but the participants focused on cooperation rather than disagreement.

He said that this time there was no discussion of issues on which agreement is almost unimaginable, for example “what we should do with migrants who have been allowed entry for no good reason”.

The Hungarian government regards the issue of refugee quotas as a question of identity

Unlike some states, the Prime Minister said, Hungary does not consider the distribution of migrants who have entered the European Union as a technical matter expressing solidarity, but as an issue of identity. In this connection he stated that it is out of the question for anyone else to determine who Hungarians should live alongside – in other words, the identity of Hungary.

“We won’t conceal the fact that we have no intention whatsoever of changing our identity”, he said, adding that “We understand that this change has already happened in a number of countries […] but we have the right to act otherwise”. He stated that “We are ready to provide help locally, to build fences, and to protect the heartlands of the European Union; we are prepared to do a great many things, but not to change our identity”.

Regarding the expected ruling on the Hungarian and Slovak petition against the EU refugee quotas, the Prime Minister emphatically asserted that even a verdict against the Government’s position would not force it to acquiesce.

“We shall find a way of achieving our goal”, he declared.

Mr. Orbán said that at the meeting the primary focus was on the external aspects of the migration crisis. There was agreement that the EU’s external borders must be protected, that illegal immigration must be stopped, and that Member States must cooperate with countries of origin and of transit.

Friendship with Emmanuel Macron began on a “man-to-man” basis

In reply to a question, the Prime Minister said that his friendship with the new French president Emmanuel Macron had begun on a “man-to-man” basis, and they agreed that the basis of their cooperation should be mutual respect. Mr. Macron had earlier criticised the Central European countries – and implicitly Hungary – for not complying with EU regulations. In response to this, on Thursday Mr. Orbán had said that the new president’s entry on the scene was “not too promising […] This is not how we do things around here, but he too will learn the ropes eventually”.

The Prime Minister said that at the Friday morning meeting between the leaders of the Visegrád countries and Mr. Macron, there was identification of the matters on which pragmatic cooperation between the parties could be established.

He added that in the meeting the French president made it clear that he considered it desirable to increase the effectiveness of the European Union, and he would do everything possible to ensure this. In this regard the Prime Minister said that major efforts at reforming the EU can be expected after the election in Germany in the autumn.

Issues related to posted workers can be resolved

The Prime Minister was also asked about the debate concerning the legal status of posted workers. He replied that the distance between the opposing positions is not insurmountable. He said that this was also discussed with President Macron, with whom it was agreed that over the next few months their respective specialist advisors will work hard to reach an agreement.

“Hungary will do everything in order to protect the interests of Hungarian workers”, he said.

At the end of the press conference, Bertalan Havasi, head of the Prime Minister’s Press Office, told the press that the Prime Minister would attend the official swearing-in ceremony for Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić in Belgrade on Friday evening.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI, photo: Balázs Szecsődi/Press Office of the Prime Minister)

“We have no time to spare in finding a solution to the migration crisis that is affecting Europe; Brussels’ impotence is endangering people”. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said following today’s meeting of EU foreign ministers.

At a press conference in Brussels, Mr. Szijjártó said that the lack of effective action on the part of the EU “is also endangering those people who set out to sea very day on the Mediterranean in rubber dinghies, as well as those who live here in Europe and do not want to have to face another terrorist attack”.

“If the European Union finally decides to send a mission to protect Libya’s southern border or to reinforce the Libyan coast guard, then the Government is prepared to immediately begin talks on Hungary’s involvement. The countries of the Visegrád Group share a common standpoint on this issue”, he declared.

Mr. Szijjártó told reporters that according to conservative estimates almost a thousand immigrants are crossing Libya’s southern border on their way towards Europe every single day, while organise people smuggling is occurring on the Mediterranean, where illegal immigrants are apparently often being assisted by non-governmental organisations that are involved in sea rescue activities.

“Tens of thousands of human lives are being endangered at sea every single day, Italy has reached it maximum capacity and level of patience, on top of which Europe’s security is also worsening as a result of the crisis because of the increasing threat of terrorism”, he added.

The Minister explained the Government’s proposals for a solution, according to which we must first do away with the mandatory resettlement quota system, which is “unsuitable for doing what it was intended to so and is just making the situation worse”, smash the people smuggling networks, and prevent NGOs from “intentionally of unwittingly facilitating the goals of people smugglers”. In addition, we must under all circumstances prevent chips carrying illegal immigrants from leaving the shores of Libya or at least the country’s territorial waters, he stressed.

The Minister pointed out that the security situation in Europe could be significantly improved if the EU were to launch an operation to support the Libyan coast guard and to assist the protection of Libya’s southern border based on the earlier German-Italian proposal, or if it established receiving stations in the North African country, where decisions on who is eligible for asylum could be made in European conditions and according to European law.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)

“According to Hungary’s standpoint, fair competition must be established to protect Hungarian and EU rice farmers from the increasing imports that are arriving from third countries. We would like to place special emphasis on rice production during development of the framework for the Common Agricultural Policy beyond 2020”, Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas said in Brussels following the signing of the joint statement.

In the statement, the agriculture ministers of eight EU member states called on Brussels to take concrete steps to protect European rice production. Prior to the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 17 July, the agriculture ministers of Hungary, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain put forward their proposals to the European Commission in a joint statement.

photo: Ministry of Agriculture

The annual rice consumption of the European Union is around 3 million tons. One third of this quantity currently comes from imports. EU rice imports are increasing every year thanks to the favourable import quotas provided during the course of free trade agreements with third countries conducted by the European Commission in representation of the EU, while internal production is gradually decreasing.

In the 1960s, rice was cultivated in Hungary on a production area of almost 50 thousand hectares. Currently, rice is being grown in Hungary on a production area of just 3,000 hectares. According to Mr. Fazekas, the competitiveness of Hungarian rice production may be improved through increasing crop yields, towards which the Hungarian Government is providing all necessary assistance to the sector.

Photo: Ministry of Agriculture

The Minister also highlighted the fact that the cultivation of rice, which is extremely important from a nutritional perspective, is also highly significant from an environmental protection and land usage perspective.

Rice production plays a particularly important role in the trans-Tisza region with relation to maintaining rural work opportunities. Rice production is much more labour intensive than most other sectors of arable crop production, meaning it provides a living for locals in areas that are most affected by unemployment.

(Ministry of Agriculture Press Office)

Ministers of agriculture from the Visegrád Group (V4) and the Baltic states held an extremely significant meeting in Brussels of 18 July.

Following the meeting, Hungarian Minister of Agriculture Sándor Fazekas told reporters that a never before seen attack, aimed primarily at reducing budgetary resources, had been launched against the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which was the European Union’s first true community policy and has been in existence for over 50 years. According to Mr. Fazekas, the widest and highest possible level of solidarity will be required to develop the framework for the post-2020 CAP.

“In light of the reflexive document on the future of the joint EU budget issued by the European Commission on 28 June, maintaining the CAP’S current budget will be a major challenge for all countries that have significant agricultural traditions, including Hungary. It is my firm belief that Europe needs a Common Agricultural policy that provides an effective solution for handling various emergencies and that enables Europe’s agriculture and food industry to remain a competitive market player at a global level” the Minister stressed.

“It is extremely important that the declaration we have jointly adopted today clearly rejects the introduction of national co-funding with relation to direct agricultural aid”, the Minister stressed, adding that according to the joint declaration the post-2020 CAP must continue to provide sufficient funding and direct payments to farmers must be maintained at at least their current level. “We cannot allow the European Commission to renationalise the CAP in this manner”, Mr. Fazekas declared.

“We also cannot forget that the Russian embargo that is still in effect, the various crises that have adversely affected agricultural markets in recent years and the increasingly extreme weather conditions are in themselves already requiring intense efforts on the part of Hungarian farmers. In view of the embargo, European farmers are to all intents and purposes paying for the EU sanctions introduced against Russia, and this must not be repeated, for instance with relation to migration”, he said.

The Minister pointed out that at the session of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 17-18 July, the European Commission had evaluated the results of the social consultation that ended in May on the modernisation and simplification of the Common Agricultural Policy. “Hungary’s goal is for the post-2020 CAP to serve the interests of farmers and for agricultural funding to continue to be received by agricultural producers”, he said.

In closing, Mr. Fazekas highlighted the fact that as the current President of the Visegrád Group, Hungary will be handling the representation of agricultural producers as a major priority during the upcoming year.

(Ministry of Agriculture Press Office)

In Budapest on Wednesday, after a meeting between the Israeli prime minister and the prime ministers of the countries of the Visegrád Four (V4), Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that, at the initiative of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the V4 countries, a joint task force will be set up to further the fight against terrorism.

The Hungarian prime minister also said that they will elaborate the details for establishment of a joint task force to promote technological cooperation.

Mr. Orbán told the press that the Israeli prime minister had invited the V4 prime ministers to Israel, and that they had accepted his invitation. He urged that relations between Israel and the European Union should be characterised by rationality, and that criticism of Israel should be replaced by an opening of the gates to cooperation.

He stressed that the Visegrád countries will urge the EU to appreciate the efforts made by Israel in the interest of its region’s stability, as these efforts are also in Europe’s best interests, given that they protect the continent against ever more migrant invasions.

The Hungarian prime minister stated that the Visegrád countries share Israel’s standpoint that defence of external borders is crucial for every nation. He added that the free flow of people without any checks or controls heightens the risk of terrorism.

    Mr. Orbán also said that in a separate meeting the V4 had decided to send a letter to the Prime Minister of Italy.

They also agreed that one of the EU agencies due to move out of London should be relocated to one of the Visegrád countries. The prime ministers of the V4 gave the Hungarian prime minister a mandate for negotiations to be conducted with France on the Posted Workers Directive.

Concluding the press conference following the first meeting between Visegrád prime ministers and an Israeli prime minister, Mr. Orbán stated that if the European Union fails to cooperate with Israel it will be punishing itself, and therefore relations should be directed towards calm rationality.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that cooperation with Israel in combatting terrorism and promoting innovation serves the best interests of Europe and the Visegrád countries. The first area is a battle against the forces of the past, while the second is about guaranteeing a better and more prosperous future, he said.

Prime Minister Netanyahu expressed appreciation for the position of the V4 countries in relation to Israel. He observed that Israel receives very frequent criticism from Europe, despite the fact that it is the only democracy in the Middle East, the only country in the region where Christians are safe, and where their communities are not only surviving, but are growing. Israel is a bastion of European and Western values in the region, he stated.

He said that it is time to redefine relations between Israel and the European Union.

Mr. Netanyahu said that it is both a great honour for him to be the first Israeli prime minister to attend a V4 summit, and also a great opportunity. He confirmed that he had invited his counterparts to his country, so that the next such summit can be held in Israel.

Slovak prime minister Robert Fico announced that he has received authorisation from the Visegrád countries to conduct talks next Thursday with Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, on the double standards in the area of food quality in the EU. Mr. Fico stated that the citizens of the V4 countries feel they are being treated like second-class EU citizens because of these double standards. The situation is seen as an insult, and all this contributes to a lack of trust.

He expressed the hope that the EU will pass legislation to remedy this situation.

Mr. Fico also stressed that the leaders’ meeting had not only been important because of its content, but also its symbolism, as in Europe “we often talk about each other”, but not often enough with each other.

      On the subject of food quality, the Czech prime minister Bohuslav Sobotka said that the V4 would like to change the relevant regulations at European level. He expressed opposition to suppliers using different quality standards for their products depending on the Member State in question, and welcomed the consensus on this issue among his fellow prime ministers. He noted that they wish to resolve the problem in a way that does not create obstacles to the functioning of the single market.

The Czech prime minister also highlighted that the EU and Israel have a shared interest in strengthening relations and removing the obstacles to their cooperation with each other.

Mr. Sobotka stressed the importance of talks on the situation in Syria and the fight against terrorism and illegal migration, and he welcomed the Israeli prime minister’s proposals, the implementation of which is supported by the V4. He stated that there are further cooperation opportunities in the fields of cyber security and water management.

Polish prime minister Beata Szydło noted that, in addition to food safety, another important topic is that of posted workers, on which the V4 will engage in joint negotiations. She also mentioned that the parties drafted a joint letter to the Italian prime minister, expressing support for him in connection with the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean region.

She noted the unprecedented nature of the V4 meeting with the Israeli prime minister, in which the parties spoke about security, the migrant crisis, the fight against terrorism and development. Cooperation with Israel must be enhanced, Mrs. Szydło added.

The following documents were adopted at the meeting:

• Joint Statement of V4 Prime Ministers on migration;
• Joint Statement of V4 Prime Ministers on dual quality foodstuff and other commodities;
• Joint letter of V4 Prime Ministers to HE Paolo Gentiloni, Prime Minister of Italy;
• Joint Statement of the Visegrad Group and the State of Israel;

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is asking Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, in a letter that the Brussels Commission should make a 50 per cent contribution to Hungary’s border protection costs which have amounted to EUR 800 million, that is, some HUF 270 billion to date, János Lázár, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said at the press conference Governmentinfo 96 which he held jointly with Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács.

According to Mr Lázár, in the context of European solidarity, the issue of border protection should also be mentioned, and solidarity must likewise be manifested in practice.

Consequently, the EU, too, must assume a share of the costs incurred by Hungary, he said, and indicated in answer to a question: if Brussels pays, the funds will be returned to the central budget.

“We would like to see solidarity manifested in specific actions, rather than in mere messages”, he stated.

He stressed: Hungary has adhered to the protection of the European Union’s Schengen borders ever since the outbreak of the migration crisis, and with the construction of the border fence and the training of border guards – which were financed by Hungarian taxpayers –

Hungary does not only protect itself, but every citizen of the continent against the flood of illegal immigrants. It is no exaggeration to claim, he said, that the safety and security of European citizens are also protected by Hungarian police officers and soldiers.

 

He further reported that the Commission had already provided assistance for quite a few countries: Greece has already received one half of the promised EUR 1 billion, Italy has been given EUR 656 million, and Bulgaria will receive EUR 100 million. It is time that Hungary, too, should submit its request, he said.

Plan of construction of camps in Libya coincides with Hungarian position

Mr Lázár also said: the plan of the construction of camps in Libya, the repatriation of migrants to their countries of origin and the elimination of the causes of immigration coincide with the Hungarian position. He reiterated that the Hungarian Government suggested the installation of hotspots already two years ago. The issue of the setting up of camps is on the agenda in Libya where migrants would be required to wait and to comply with the relevant procedures, he added.

He further confirmed that the Government had extended the state of crisis caused by mass immigration – which would have expired on 7 September – until 7 March. He pointed out that 773 persons had crossed the Hungarian border illegally up to 30 August, while in the absence of the fence, the numbers would be similar to those observed two years ago.

The Minister also told the press: the European Commission and Germany have „launched a campaign” against Poland and are applying double standards in relation to the Poles. Hungary reassures the Polish people and government of its support, he pointed out, adding: they call the country to account over things which operate in other countries as standard practices. It is unacceptable that the European Commission should launch political campaigns against Poland, and Germany should try to push them into a corner, he highlighted.

 

 

In answer to a question concerning the quota lawsuit, he said: if following the decision of the European Court expected to be released next week the Hungarian Government is unable to come to an agreement with the European Commission or has any doubts, the case will be repeatedly presented to the court as the present lawsuit is merely about whether the quota decision complies with European law or not.

 

The letter of Prime Minister Orbán can be found here.

(MTI, photo: Zoltán Máthé)

In Budapest on Wednesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said that “The position of the Hungarian government is that the ruling issued by the European Court of Justice in the migrant quota case is outrageous and irresponsible”.

He was speaking at a joint press conference with Minister of Justice László Trócsányi, who emphasised that Hungary can expect further legal battles.

“The real battle is only just beginning, and Hungary will be making use of all opportunities for legal redress to ensure that nobody can be relocated to Hungary against the wishes of the Hungarian people”, the Foreign Minister said.

According to Mr. Szijjártó, the Court’s decision endangers the future and security of all Europe, and runs against the interests of Europe’s nations, including the Hungarian nation. The Minister said that in his opinion the European Court of Justice has made a political ruling: “politics has raped European law”.

 

 

“In contravention of the founding treaties, the ruling asserts the power of the European Commission over EU Member States. This is unacceptable, and we shall do everything possible to protect the country”, Mr. Szijjártó said.

He explained that the time has come for the EU to “consign to the past” the mandatory relocation quotas, as the concept is a failed response to illegal immigration: just a few weeks before the 26 September deadline, only 25 per cent of the target number of migrants have been successfully relocated.

“Hungary continues to fulfil its Schengen commitments and is protecting the Schengen Area and the external border of the European Union”, the Foreign Minister declared.

He pointed out that “To date, Hungary has undertaken all of the related costs and expenses alone, and is showing solidarity towards Western Balkan countries that are also protecting their borders”. He added that “In contrast, the European Commission is not funding border protection, but only the admission of illegal immigrants”. In reply to a question, Mr. Szijjártó said that on this issue Hungary is counting on solidarity from its Visegrád Group (V4) allies.

 

 

Hungary can expect further legal battles

At the press conference Minister of Justice László Trócsányi also said that Hungary can expect further legal battles, adding that it is regrettable that the Court ignored Hungary’s legally sound arguments and decided that the fundamental precepts of EU law could be ignored.

According to the Minister, the ruling has upset the balance between the European Union’s institutions: the European Commission has won the court case, while the powers of the European Council and the European Parliament have decreased. This, he said, is despite the fact that “the EU’s political direction should be determined by the European Council, the official body comprising Europe’s heads of state and government”.

The Hungarian justice minister stressed that the Court’s argument is unconvincing, and serves to underpin the “European mainstream”, while “It could have issued a totally different ruling”.

The Minister also noted that it is difficult to accept the assertion that there was no migration crisis in 2015. He announced that “In the infringement proceedings launched against Hungary by the European Commission we shall put forward new arguments”.

 

 

Mr. Trócsányi also said that there is the danger of a permanent mechanism being established, which Hungary regards as unacceptable: Europe must set out on a different path. In reply to a question, Mr. Trócsányi said that the European Court of Justice is at the highest possible level, and in this case there is no further possibility for legal redress.

Replying to another question, Mr. Szijjártó said that all possible actions have been taken to normalise Hungarian-Dutch relations, and the two countries’ prime ministers will be “exchanging a few words” at the EU summit in Tallinn in late September.

When asked about news reports that, between 2012 and 2014, Azerbaijan channelled some 2.5 billion euros to influential foreign officials and organisations, the Foreign Minister said that he hopes that investigations will reveal the truth as soon as possible. Mr. Szijjártó rejected all insinuations of any possible links between Hungarian foreign policy decisions and what are probably international crimes. “The bribing of politicians and reporters is unacceptable – both in Europe and everywhere else”, he stressed.

(MTI, photo: Gergely Botár)

At the meeting of the European Parliament's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development on 25 September István Nagy, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the representative of German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, presented the European Soy Declaration. The document was signed by 14 EU Member States on 18 July 2017 in Brussels after a joint initiative of Germany and Hungary.

István Nagy stressed that Hungary has been the leader of initiatives and programs for GMO-free protein sovereignty within the EU. This is also indicated by the fact that Mr. György Hölvényi (FIDESZ-EPP) is the responsible rapporteur within the EP Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee.

The Deputy Minister recalled that in the framework of the agricultural policy in Hungary, it is of strategic importance to promote the production of protein feed and to create a toolkit for the provision of GMO-free protein sources for the livestock sector.

Legumes play a key role in sustainable agriculture, food security, healthy diets and mitigating the effects of climate change.

European consumers should be made aware that sustainable agricultural production is, inter alia, a combination of technologies that preserves soil fertility, does not pollute groundwater, protects biodiversity and preserves genetic resources.

The Hungarian Government is convinced that the future of a competitive and sustainable food production lies on GMO-free production. Hungary introduced its National Protein Program in 2013 in order to establish GM-free food production, in which legumes play a very important role.

The Deputy Minister added that according to Hungary, Europe needs a new and comprehensive protein policy in agriculture and food production. Dependence on imported soybean should be replaced by this new policy.

István Nagy concluded that the most important result of the visit in Brussels is that the importance of strengthening the cultivation of protein crops can be further promoted in Europe through the MEPs.

By initiative of Hungary, 10 EU Member States issued a common statement for keeping the future support of freshwater aquaculture.

Keeping in mind the interests of the sector, the countries most involved in freshwater aquaculture production decided to draw the attention of the European Commission to the possibilities of the sector. The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is expected to be transformed after 2020. While the Commission has not yet come up with a concrete proposal, support to coastal areas is expected to become more pronounced. The signatories would like if the freshwater aquaculture, which provides over 20% of the European aquaculture production, remained an eligible activity.

Considering the good results of the previous support programme, as well as the increased budget of the current one, there seems to be a consensus that the funds required for the sector’s development need to be provided without changing the current directions. Aquaculture is one of the most regulated sectors in the European Union, which has the capacity to counteract the increasing import dependence. Freshwater aquaculture, providing predictable and reliable jobs, safe food and environmentally sustainable production away from the seas, can be an important contributor to this objective.

The joint declaration is in accordance with the objective of the Hungarian Presidency of the Visegrad Group to strengthen cooperation in the field of aquaculture.

In the Environment Council under Estonian Presidency held on 13 October Ministers reached political agreement on the Effort Sharing Regulation under which the Member States have binding 2030 national emission targets for sectors falling outside the scope of the EU emissions trading system (agriculture, transport, buildings, waste). Ministers also reached political agreement on the rules how to include emissions from agricultural land use and forestry (LULUCF) into the 2030 climate framework. Based on the general approach the Presidency can start the informal negations with the European Parliament. The European Commission was represented by Commissioners Karmenu Vella and Miguel Arias Cañete.

The Ministers had an intensive debate on the Presidency compromise proposal on the Efforts Sharing Regulation. The main debate was around the “safety reserve” and its size, which offer additional flexibility for low income Member States. The Ministers reached political agreement, which opens up the way for the negotiations with the European Parliament. Ministers also discussed the proposal on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) into the 2030 climate and energy framework and reached the final compromise. The outstanding political issue was the proposal on managed forest land flexibility and the level of compensation. Some Member States wanted to have more flexibility to cover future emissions arising from increased level of wood harvest. Other Member States argued for a credible LULUCF system, which will be an example for the third countries. Finally, Ministers reached a general approach, which will be the base for the informal trilogue meetings with the European Parliament.

The text of the general approach on Efforts Sharing Regulation and LULUCF are available here:

http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13224-2017-INIT/en/pdf

http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13249-2017-INIT/en/pdf

Ministers adopted conclusions on the EU's priorities for the third meeting of the UN Environment Assembly (Nairobi, 4-6 December 2017). The main theme of the Assembly will be the issue of pollution, its outcomes are expected to be a ministerial closing document and a limited number of thematic decisions, as well as a set of commitments from individual to government levels. Both the Presidency and the Commission highlighted the importance of EU involvement and of EU and Member State commitments.

http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-13070-2017-INIT/en/pdf

The Ministers adopted conclusions on the Paris Agreement and in preparation for the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP23) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which will take place from 6-17 November 2017 in Bonn. The Council conclusions can be found here:

http://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/10/13-conclusions-paris-agreement-and-unfccc-meetings/

The Luxembourgish delegation informed about the integrated national energy and climate plans for 2030 and the long-term emissions reduction strategies. The Polish delegation gave information about the international seminar "Science for Peace the World Over", which was held in Erice, Italy, on 18–24 August 2017. The United Kingdom highlighted the importance of the ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. 

“Italy must be helped to protect its borders”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared in Brussels.

Mr. Orbán, who held talks with the Prime Ministers of the Visegrád Group (V4) and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday evening, made several proposals for handling the migration crisis, and will be taking part in the European People’s Party and European Council summits on Thursday in Brussel.

 

 

Photo: Bundesregierung/Steffen Kugler

According to Hungarian news agency MTI, with relation to migrants arriving from Africa, Mr. Orbán suggested the establishment of a fund similar to the one previously set up with relation to Turkey, to which EU member states would contribute in a similar ratio, and directly to Italy.

“And Rome could rely on this budget to continue its efforts to stop the wave of migration from North Africa. Italy must ben given support so that it can protect its own borders and those of Europe”, the Prime Minister said.

 

 

Photo: Balázs Szecsődi/Prime Minister's Press Office

During debates on the EU’s standpoint with relation to Turkey, the Prime Minister stressed that Turkey-EU relations and the European integration of the Balkan region are interrelated issues, and for this reason he once again called for Serbia and Montenegro to be afforded membership of the European Union.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)

Following a summit of EU leaders in Brussels on Friday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared that it is no exaggeration to state that the European Parliament has begun implementation of the Soros Plan. He cited adoption of a report on the amendment of the Dublin Agreement, which regulates the EU’s Common Asylum System, by the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).

Mr. Orbán told public media that “The musket is not only primed but loaded: in Europe in the future a permanent and mandatory migrant relocation quota mechanism will be established, with no upper limit on numbers: the mandatory relocation quota”.

The Prime Minister added that “The report isn’t about the current situation, but about the future, and it ignores the danger in migration’s link with terrorism and a decline in public safety; and they continue to seek to seize spheres of competence from Member States”.

“It is true that we are waist-deep in the struggle to protect this slice of our national sovereignty, but so far we have succeeded, because until now we have been the ones who decide who can live on Hungarian territory”, Mr. Orbán said, “but the attack on our sovereignty that the European Parliament has now launched is fiercer than any previous one”.

At such times national unity would be useful, he declared, but this does not yet exist, because “the opposition parties support the Brussels immigration policy based on mandatory quotas”.

The Prime Minister said that it is outrageous that even a Hungarian opposition politician took part in drafting the report in question. He remarked that “Few things are more despicable than someone working in Brussels on the migrant issue in opposition to Hungarian national interests”.

“While this government is in power and I am at its head, there will be no kind of relocation or quota in Hungary”, the Prime Minister underlined, adding that one can expect tough and prolonged disputes, and so “we need to gird our loins”.

Mr. Orbán also spoke about an “unprecedented” working dinner on Wednesday evening, to which Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, invited the heads of government of the Visegrád Group (V4) countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

The Prime Minister explained that on certain issues the difference in attitudes between the countries of the V4 and the European Commission is “alarming and almost hopeless”. The differences, he said, are more rooted in culture than politics, and the way in which the two sides view Europe’s present and future – for instance with regard to migration.

“Despite all this, the meeting was a success, as we clarified several misunderstandings, and were able to tell Mr. Juncker that the citizens of Central Europe – including Hungarian citizens – seek greater respect”, the Prime Minister said, adding that there is a chance of improvement in cooperation between the parties.

He also declared that “It must be recognised that today Central Europe is the most successful region in Europe”.

In closing, Mr. Orbán also said that it is important to accelerate EU accession negotiations with Montenegro and Serbia so that the two countries – particularly the latter – can become members of the European Union as soon as possible.

“By doing so, the EU would stabilise the situation in the Balkan region”, the Prime Minister added.

Mr. Orbán stated that the Turkish situation had also been on the agenda of the meeting of heads of state and government, stressing that “Turkey cannot be understood without taking the Balkans into account”.

(MTI)

A compromised was reached with respect to the main lines of the amendment of the legislation relating to posted workers at the Monday meeting of EU Ministers responsible for employment and social affairs held in Luxembourg. According to Minister of State Szabolcs Takács, the Hungarian delegation managed to protect the interests of the haulage sector.

At the end of the talks which carried on well into the night, the attendees adopted with a qualified majority a so-called general approach regarding the Posted Workers Directive, based on which the Council comprised of the Governments of the Member States may commence consultations with the European Parliament.

Mr Takács said: on behalf of the Visegrád countries the Hungarian Government made a number of "constructive” proposals which were joined by several Member States, but these were only partially accepted, and in consequence, Hungary together with six other countries did not vote for the Council decision in the end.

The European Commission submitted its proposed amendments last March, pursuant to which the same regulations would apply to posted workers as regards wages and working conditions as to locals. According to critics, this would detrimentally affect several late-joining Member States.

According to the compromise now reached, the labour law terms of the recipient country would apply after 12 months, and this time limit could be extended by a further six months on one occasion. The Commission’s original proposal stipulated 24 months, but according to press reports, France lobbied intensively for the reduction of this time limit.

One of the most important points of the compromise is that the provisions of this amendment will not affect the haulage sector as separate rules will be adopted to regulate that industry.

The Ministers also agreed that after the conclusion of the compromise, Member States will have three years to transpose the new regulations into their respective national laws, and these regulations will enter into force one year thereafter.

Mr Takács said after the council meeting that, according to their argument, hauliers are not posted, but mobile workers, and logic dictates that different rules should apply to them. As he said, this was accepted by all the Member States, and in consequence, hauliers will be allowed to continue their activities under unchanged conditions.

"We believe it is a great achievement that we must continue talks with respect to the haulage sector until a compromise is reached which is acceptable for all parties”, the Minister of State for EU Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office stressed, highlighting that during the course of these talks the Government "will continue to develop its position in consultation with the Hungarian business actors concerned”.

He added: the amendment of the Directive has been on the agenda of meetings of the Council held at different levels for 19 months which amply demonstrates the complexity of the issue and its impact on the functioning of the single market.

Commissioner for Employment Marianne Thyssen took the view that "a balanced compromise” has been reached which creates fair rules for everyone.

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the "ambitious” compromise on Twitter which, as he wrote, will result in more protection and less abuse.

Pursuant to the regulations currently in force, employers are not obliged to pay their posted workers more than the minimum wage applicable in the recipient country, and the latter therefore often receive lower pay for the same job than locals which may, as argued by the European Commission, have a distorting effect on competition.

Those opposed to the original proposal take the view, however, that the issue does not fall within EU competence, but within the competence of the Member States, and additionally, the changes initiated by the Commission would constitute an obstacle to the freedom of the provision of services and would force the employees of Eastern- and Central-European countries off the single market.

(Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister/MTI)

The competent officials of the European Commission raised no objection to the fact that the EU-Ukraine Association Council placed the case of the new Ukrainian education legislation on the agenda of its meeting due to be held at the beginning of December, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade announced in Luxembourg, after the Monday meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Member States of the European Union.

Péter Szijjártó said: minority rights are being grossly violated in Ukraine, and with the latest education legislation Kiev also violates the Association Agreement it signed with the European Union.

At the meeting of EU Foreign Ministers, the Minister initiated that the EU-Ukraine Association Council should lay down emphatically that, based on the Agreement, Kiev is required to continuously reinforce minority rights.

Mr Szijjártó said: neither Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, nor Johannes Hahn, European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations raised objections of any kind.

As the Commission proposes the items on the agenda, Hungary is making its preparations in light of the possibility that the case of the Ukrainian education legislation will be on the agenda of the Council meeting to be held in December, he added.

Mr Szijjártó told journalists during a break of the meeting that with the new Ukrainian education law Kiev dramatically violates not only minority rights, but also human rights.

Restricting education in minority languages cannot serve as a means for improving fluency in Ukrainian. Taking away the right to learn in the mother tongue is not the way towards the wider teaching of the Ukrainian language.

He said: in the wake of the education legislation – provided that it remains in force – the operation of 71 Hungarian schools will be frustrated as all teachers will be required to teach students over the age of ten years in Ukrainian which will lead to the closure of schools and the dismissal of teaching staff.

Mr Szijjártó stated: the Hungarian Government is prepared to conduct consultations, but their success depends on whether the elements of the law which „grossly violate” minority rights are revoked, or at least suspended.

“In the dispute of the Ukrainian Government and the Hungarians in Transcarpathia, we shall always be on the side of the Hungarian community, and to the very end”, the Minister said.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)

Renewable energy sources derived from agriculture, Central European agrarian research and the dual quality of food – these were the most important issues for the countries of the Visegrád Group (V4) among the topics of discussion at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels held on 6 November 2017.

“Today’s session of the Council was proof of the fact that coordinated action on the part of the V4 countries can help us achieve outstanding success within more and more areas of agriculture”, Minister of State for Agricultural Economy György Czerván said following the meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on 6 November, the agenda of which included two V4 statements adopted on Hungary’s initiative.

As the Visegrád Group’s current President, Hungary presented the joint declarations on renewable resources and the BIOEAST initiative signed at the meeting of V4 agriculture ministers held in Visegrád on 21 September.

The document on promoting the use of renewable energy sources was signed by the V4 and by the agriculture ministers of Bulgaria and Romania. The draft legislation on renewable energy sources, which will be adopted by the EU member states’ ministers responsible for energy, would restrict the use of traditional, feed-based biofuels after 2020, and this could have a major effect on agriculture and cause market fluctuations. The joint declaration draws attention to the fact that the European Commission’s proposal on renewable energies would to all intents and purposes put an end to the existing dependable, market-based purchasing of crops from maize and rape famers, which would affect over 2 million tons of maize in Hungary alone.

“It is vitally important to Hungary and to the whole Central and Eastern European region that the maize and rapeseed competitively produced here is also processed within the region. This would enable us to tangibly contribute to the fight against climate change”, Mr. Czerván highlighted.

The joint declaration on strengthening the BIOEAST cooperation was signed by the countries of the Visegrád Group, and by the agriculture ministers of Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Slovenia. With relation to the agreement, the Minister of State stressed that it is another important milestone in the life of the Central and Eastern European macro-region. “It is a common goal for our countries to play a more active role in the realisation of research and innovation activities relating to the biomass-based economy of the European Research Area”, he added. The BIOEAST (Central and Eastern European Initiative for Knowledge-based Agricultural Economy, Aquaculture and Forestry within the Biomass Economy) initiative launched last year by the Ministry of Agriculture is aimed at expanding both specific research topic areas and research opportunities that affect the region.

On a joint Slovakian and Czech initiative, the agriculture ministers also discussed the “Equal Quality Products for Everyone” summit meeting held in Bratislava on 13 October 2017, which in addition to the prime ministers of the V4 countries was also attended by several EU commissioners and representatives from every EU member state. Mr. Czerván stressed that the measures introduced so far with relation to dual food quality point in the right direction, but that the V4 continues to regard the introduction of EU-level regulations as the most expedient solution. “According to the standpoint of the Hungarian Government, clear legal frameworks are required to ensure that differing quality products that deceive consumers cannot be placed on the market, for which suitable opportunities for action must also be developed for the relative authorities”, the Minister of State said.

The next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) will take place in Brussels on 10 November 2017. The Hungarian delegation will be led by H.E. Dr. Olivér VÁRHELYI Ambassador Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative.

The Council will review the state of play of the negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the preparations for the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11) to be held in Buenos Aires this December. Unfortunately still major differences can be observed among the WTO Members’ positions regarding most of the issues negotiated. In Hungary’s view, under these circumstances the EU should have realistic and moderate expectations for the outcome of the MC11 and formulate its positon accordingly.

Ministers will discuss the state of play of the EU free trade negotiations with Mercosur and the modernization of the existing Global Agreement with Mexico. In both cases the parties aim to reach political agreements on the main parameters by the end of 2017. Hungary sees solid progress and looks forward to finalizing the negotiations with Mexico. Concerning the negotiations with Mercosur, our fundamental interest is to ensure that the potential agreement reflects Hungarian agricultural sensitivities appropriately.

Commissioner Malmström will present to the Ministers the Commission’s report on Implementation of Free Trade Agreements.

During a working lunch Ministers will be debriefed on the state of play of the free trade negotiations with Japan and the possible conclusion of the negotiations by the end of this year. Based on the results achieved so far Hungary regards this objective desirable and attainable. Ministers will also discuss the possible improvements of the implementation of Trade and Sustainable Development chapters in EU trade agreements.

“The Hungarian model works and we Hungarians have no intention of replacing it”, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at the EU Social Summit on Friday in Gothenburg.

In his speech at the session on ‘Changing Jobs to Meet Challenges’, the Prime Minister highlighted: “We are hearing many good suggestions, and during my period as Prime Minister I too have taken part in several similar meetings aimed at giving each other good ideas, and there are several good ideas on the table again today, for instance the expansion of the EU’s higher education programme, Erasmus”. “But the success of our policies doesn’t depend on the quality of our ideas; the key to success is being capable of constructing a system out of good ideas, and whether we are capable of establishing models using excellent ideas”, he pointed out.

“Hungary was in a very deep depression prior to 2010, but we established a Hungarian model”, he reminded those present.

“The Hungarian model rests on three pillars. The first is that we set full employment as our goal and want to build a work-based economy”, he said. “The second is that we do not want external help to solve our workforce or demographic problems, meaning we do not want to solve problems through immigration”, he continued. “And thirdly, we want to be flexible with relation to job market regulations; tax regulations and dual training are both very flexible”, he explained.

“Seven years ago, the rate of unemployment in Hungary was 12.5 percent, today it is 4 percent; growth was at minus 5-6 percent, today it is at plus 4 percent, and government debt is being permanently kept under 3 percent”, he said.

Mr. Orbán said that in his opinion our own models must be valued, and “we Hungarians, who have been pulled out of the economic crisis by our own model also have no intention of replacing our own model”.

The Prime Minister added that he didn’t think other countries could automatically apply the Hungarian model, “but perhaps they could use certain elements of it”.

Friday was the first time in twenty years that the leaders of the European Union’s member states held a Social Summit. The Summit is being hosted by President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven. At the meeting in Gothenburg, the heads of EU institutions, the heads of state and government of the European Union’s member states, as well as social partners, are discussing how to facilitate the proliferation of fair working conditions and economic growth within the European Union.

The goal of the summit is for the European Parliament, the Council of Europe and the European Commission to jointly announce the establishment of a European pillar of social rights, while stressing that the three institutions fully support the twenty principles and rights included within the pillar. The initiative aimed at establishing the social pillar was announced by Jean-Claude Juncker in his 2015 speech on the state of the European Union, and the official proposal was put forward by the European Commission in April 2017.

The participants of the Gothenburg summit will also be reviewing the future of education and culture.

(MTI, photo: Balázs Szecsődi)

It would have been fair if at least one of the London-centred agencies which are compelled to move on account of the departure of the United Kingdom from the EU had been relocated to Central or Eastern Europe, Szabolcs Takács, Minister of State at the Prime Minister’s Office said on Wednesday evening in Brussels.

The European Union’s Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Council on it’s first meeting day reached a general approach on a draft regulation on the European Solidarity Corps. The regulation aims to strengthen cohesion, solidarity and democracy in Europe by offering young people the possibility of volunteering or working on beneficial projects across Europe. It is of utmost importance that a favourable compromise was reached through the general approach regarding the Hungarian budgetary concerns. The Council also adopted conclusions on smart youth work focusing the challenges and the opportunities of the digital era. This was followed by a policy debate, where Ministers discussed issues of concern to young Europeans and how the EU can help to address them.

The Council adopted conclusions on school development and excellent teaching that encourages the development of high-quality education and beside high quality teacher training also the continuous professional development of teachers and school leaders. The Council also adopted conclusions on a renewed EU agenda for higher education and a recommendation on tracking graduates. Furthermore, the Council held a policy debate on the future of skills and the changing role of vocational education and training.

On the second day of the Council's meeting the Council adopted conclusions on promoting digital access to culture via digital means, especially in regard to audience development and the Digital Single Market strategy. Later on, the Council held a policy debate about the role of culture in building cohesive societies in Europe.

In the field of sport, the Council adopted conclusions on the role of coaches in society. The Council also adopted a resolution on further developing the EU structured dialogue on sport. This was followed by a policy debate on the main challenges facing sport in the 21st century and cooperation between the EU, governments and the sport movement.

The Council reached a general approach on the Single Digital Gateway proposal, which creates innovative and user friendly solution in case of cross-border public services in line with the goals of the Digital Single Market Strategy.

The Estonian Presidency has informed the Member States that as the result of the negotiations conducted with the European Parliament a first reading agreement may be reached on the geo-blocking regulation before the end of this year. The new legislation will ensure that customers can buy goods or have access to services offered in another Member State under same conditions.

The participants had an in-depth discussion on the future of European industry. Member states generally agreed that the Commission’s communication on a new industrial policy strategy, published in September, is a good first step into the right direction, however, it is still necessary to draw up a vision and set goals up to 2030 and beyond. More specifically, in the context of the future of car sector, ministers agreed that digitalisation is a great opportunity and a great challenge at the same time for European manufacturers and for the telecom and IT enterprises cooperating with them. State Secretary István Lepsényi underlined that Hungary was among the first movers in the deployment of electromobility, and the Vehicle Proving Ground near the city of Zalaegerszeg will be suitable – among others – for testing self driving and electric vehicles, too.

The Hungarian delegation brought to the attention of the Council its concerns regarding the draft implementing regulation on technical standards for the establishment and operation of a traceability system for tobacco products. In this respect State Secretary Kecsmár asked the Commission to monitor the situation closely and work on solutions in order to minimise negative impacts for small manufacturers.

Vice-President Andrus Ansip (European Commission) summarized the results achieved so far regarding the implementation of the Digital Single Market Strategy. He underlined that eight legal acts have been agreed on by the Council and the European Parliament out of the 24 proposals put forward by the Commission, which bring tangible benefits for the European consumers, such as the abolition of roaming fees or the banning of unjustified geo-blocking in online markets.

Bulgarian minister Emil Karanikolov announced the programme of the Bulgarian Presidency for the first half of 2018, which will put special emphasis on economic growth and the enhanced competitiveness of the European Union.