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Government of Hungary.

While recognizing very testing circumstances in which Hungary headed the Council’s work, the Commission’s President admitted that “Hungary has risen to the challenges and delivered a very competent Presidency of the Council. More generally, the European Union is today better able to deal with the opportunities, and the difficulties, before us”.

See: José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission. Speech/11/496, European Parliament, Strasbourg, 5 July 2011. Debate on the closing of the Hungarian Presidency.

Main outcomes

During the Hungarian Presidency of the Council, argued Mr. Barroso, the European Union achieved the first European Semester, concluded negotiations with Croatia, supported the democratic movements of the Arab Spring, approved a new European strategy for the Roma and launched the Danube Strategy, to name a few.

Mr. Barroso specifically underlined the openness for dialogue with the European Parliament on the next Multiannual Financial Framework. The Commission suggested in November 2010 a structured dialogue on important issues, which was done during the Hungarian Presidency. The “troika” has met several times: EP’s President Buzek, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban and Commission’s President to exchange views before the Commission finally approved the proposals. One of them is the Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014-20 as a budget that is expected to be both realistic and ambitious, “that is all about investing in future growth”, added Commission’s president.

Fruitful consultations

This practice of consultations between the European Parliament, the Council, and the Commission has now been established during the presidencies; Polish Prime Minister D. Tusk already confirmed that the Polish Presidency will follow suit.

These consultations were fruitful during the crisis in the EU policy-making. After much hard work the EU elaborated both the plan and the tools needed to get Europe back on track.

At a time when some call on us to retreat into national shells, we have in fact developed a clearer sense of our interdependence. The EU recognized the member states’ interdependence on the key issues, e.g. the economy and migration. As to the economy, growth has been high on the Hungarian Presidency's agenda and will remain so for the current Polish Presidency. In today's economic climate the stakes are very high. While 1.8% GDP growth is now expected for the European Union in 2011, unemployment is still unacceptably high, especially amongst young people, argued the Commission’s president.

The divergences in competitiveness between the EU member states are still too great, and countries such as Greece experience great troubles.  

“This means, Mr. Barroso said, that in the longer term what is at stake is the future of our social market economy, our common currency, the euro, and our role in the world; therefore the Commission's six legislative proposals on economic governance are essential and will have far-reaching consequences for our Union”.

The Commission will continue to work hard, argued the President, on delivering in areas where it matters most for growth, for example, the twelve priority actions under the Single Market Act.

The Commission will ensure that all proposals are on the table by the end of the year, with the hope that they can be approved by Parliament and the Council by the end of 2012.

Besides, the Commission presented a comprehensive strategy for reform in the area of intellectual property and the member states agreed on the two regulations implementing enhanced cooperation to create a common EU patent. The end result will reduce the cost of patents in Europe by up to 80%, covering 25 member states. This is a key step in becoming more innovation-friendly; it is of great economic value, added the President. “We will put an end to the unacceptable situation where obtaining a patent in Europe costs ten times more than in the US. This shows how European action can complement national action to boost competitiveness”.

Some other important issues

The European Union has faced a difficult and challenging situation linked to the South Mediterranean events; the EU has acted as a union to protect both freedom and security.

It is of great importance to strengthen FRONTEX with the agreement on the new regulation in June 2011.

The EU has been able to face difficult situations related to the Schengen governance and national actions aiming at putting into risk basic principles of the European Union such as the free movement of persons and the common European space without borders.

The Commission will now come forward with its concrete proposals for a European based monitoring and evaluation system, supplemented by a European safeguard mechanism.

On asylum, the European Council has agreed to complete Common European Asylum System by 2012. The Commission proposals are already on the table, said the President.

The Hungarian Presidency has delivered a big step forward for the Roma people. The European Commission's framework for national Roma integration strategies is endorsed by the European Council and will help to eradicate centuries-old exclusion in four key areas: education, employment, healthcare and housing.

Then, the president underlined an outstanding progress towards Croatia's accession. Negotiations were formally concluded at the end of June and now it is time for signing the Accession Treaty by the end of this year. In the Commission’s view, Croatia could become the 28th member of our Union by the 1st of July 2013.

The accession will lead not only to a stronger European family, but to further peace, reconciliation and stability in the Western Balkans.

The Hungarian Presidency has also given definition to the Danube Strategy, helping to connect, protect and develop in partnership with six of EU neighbors. The overall aim is to improve the quality of life for the 115 million people living in the Danube region.

This year has been a very important year for the EU Neighborhood Policy, which is more than ever at the top of the Union's agenda. The EU has actively managed the situation faced by the Southern Neighbors, not only supporting politically the Arab Spring, but also on the ground in very concrete humanitarian terms, also regarding its direct impacts on EU territory and defining a Strategy for Democracy and Co-Prosperity.

The Hungarian Presidency has helped the EU in closer collaboration with the new Polish Presidency; it will ensure the continuity in the Council's work and allow as well for constructive exchanges with the European Parliament, concluded the Commission’s president.