Brussels, 17/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - Hungary's priorities for its very first six-month tenure of the Presidency of the EU Council of Ministers at the start of 2011 chime perfectly with the Commission's work programme, José Manuel Barroso was happy to announce after a meeting on 17 November with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his government who had all travelled to Brussels. “I assured the future Hungarian Presidency of the full support of the Commission. The Hungarian priorities completely match our priorities,” the Commission president said. He expressed his optimism that Hungary would do well in its first Presidency and that, despite being beleaguered by the economic and financial crisis, it would be able to keep its finances and budget deficit “under control”.
To the priorities Hungary has announced over the last few months - energy security, regional and cohesion policy, the Eastern Partnership, the European strategy on Roma integration, and completion of accession negotiations with Croatia - other important issues have recently been added, such as practical implementation of the EU 2020 strategy for growth and jobs, management of the first “European semester” (coordination of member states' budgetary and economic policies), the launch of the debate on the next EU multiannual financial framework 2014-2020 (Ed: on which the Commission will bring forward proposals at the start of 2011), the highly likely “limited review” of the Lisbon Treaty in order to create a permanent crisis management mechanism for the euro area, and the 2011 budget which has been deadlocked since Monday as a result of disagreements between the Council and the European Parliament. Orban is still hoping an agreement can be reached and hopes the issue will be resolved under Belgian presidency. Barroso announced that the Commission would very shortly bring forward a new proposal.
Orban stated that his government, “which knows Europe well”, has prepared its Presidency very carefully. The comfortable position the government finds itself in, with its two thirds majority in the Hungarian parliament, ensures a certain stability on the domestic front and this, he said, should help ease the task. As with each rotating Presidency, Hungary will also be prepared to deal with any unexpected events that will most probably occur, Orban declared. (H.B./transl.rt)