Hungary’s presidential début in the European Parliament

[New Generation Club]

Foreign Minister, János Martonyi, held talks in Brussels with EP
political groups and heads of parliamentary committees on the
legislative priorities of the Hungarian presidency. Hungary counts on
the Parliament’s cooperation in the earliest possible adoption of the
legislative package related to the strengthening of economic
governance.
Foreign Minister, János Martonyi, and State Secretary for EU Affairs,
Enikő Győri, met the leaders of the European People’s Party, the Group
of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and Group of the
Greens/European Free Alliance, the Heads of the Economic and Monetary
Affairs Committee and the Constitutional Committees, the group of
committee coordinators of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and
Democrats and the Secretary General of the European Parliament on 11
January 2011.

The aim of the first appearance in the EP, was to allow the Hungarian
presidency to exchange opinions with the hosts on the legislative
dossiers that take priority during the semester. Issues discussed with
the EP party groups also included the Hungarian media law.

Economic governance

Martonyi met Sharon Bowles, Head of the EP’s Economic and Monetary
Affairs Committee. He explained that the Hungarian presidency
considered the promotion of economic governance in the eurozone and in
the whole of the Union as a cardinal task. Hungary therefore takes all
measures to facilitate meetings on the six pieces of draft
legislations proposed by the Commission in September 2010.
Consultations are already in progress in the Council’s ad hoc working
group, which was established in late November; while the competent EP
committee is expected to vote on the package at the end of January.

Martonyi made it clear that the Hungarian presidency considered the
European Parliament a key partner and counted on its endorsement to
adopt the package, aiming to establish a stricter economic policy
coordination system before the end of June.

Amendment of the Treaty

At his meeting with Carlo Casini, Head of the EP’s Constitutional
Committee, Mr. Martonyi reviewed the questions related to the
amendment of the Treaty. The Foreign Minister said that the amendment,
which created a possibility to establish a continuous crisis
management mechanism, was one of the most important events in the
Hungarian presidential term. However, as President of the Council,
Hungary would play a supplementary role in this process.

The parties touched upon the Council Regulation on the European
Citizens’ Initiative to be adopted, ratified and enter into force
during the Hungarian presidency term. They also mentioned that the EU
intended to join the European Convention on Human Rights. The
Hungarian presidency takes all possible measures to support Commission
talks, Mr. Martonyi said.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister and the State Secretary for EU Affairs
also met heads of the political groups in the European Parliament.
Besides Hungary’s legislative ambitions the unfavourable reception of
the Hungarian media law outside Hungary was also discussed. Mr
Martonyi called his partners’ attention to the misunderstandings still
surrounding the issue. He said that criticising a piece of legislation
was quite different from offending a member state. This is remarkable
because few countries have struggled more for democracy in Europe than
Hungary.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister was of the opinion that the matter of
the media law should be dealt with separately from the presidency
issues. Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the Liberal Group in Parliament,
and former Prime Minister of Belgium agreed with Mr Martonyi’s
position.

János Martonyi and Enikő Győri, had a special meeting with the
Hungarian MEPs, where they concluded that the success of the Hungarian
presidential term was a common interest.


http://ng-club.org/2011/01/hungary-has-officially-been-president-of-the-eu-council-since-1-january-2011/