It is in Hungary’s best interest to utilize European Union development funds efficiently and invest a large part of them in economic development between 2014 and 2020, Minister of State at the Ministry for National Economy stressed at a Budapest press conference held on the occasion of his appointment as EU chief negotiator on Monday. He added, conclusions need to be drawn from the period 2007-2013 and in the next development cycle EU fund application shall be more targeted, less piecemeal and the entire process shall be supported by a more efficient institutional background.

Minister of State Cséfalvay pointed out that within the administration it is the Ministry for National Economy which will be responsible for fulfilling EU planning tasks in 2014-2020 and conducting negotiations with the European Commission.

He added that it was Minister for National Economy György Matolcsy who decided to entrust him as Minister of State for Economic Strategy who generally acts as his deputy and represents Hungary in the EU Competitiveness Council.

Minister of State Cséfalvay explained that as a chief negotiator he is commissioned to coordinate the elaboration of domestic development programmes for the period 2014-2020 and to lead negotiations on behalf of the Government with the European Commission on planning and applying development funds. In addition he will coordinate the preparation of the Partnership Agreement to be concluded with the European Commission, determining the objectives for the period 2014-2020 along with the priorities, structure and institutional framework within which EU development funding is implemented.

The planning of development fund applications and the negotiations relating to these in Brussels need to be separated from negotiations on the overall seven-year financial framework which falls mainly under the competence of the council of the heads of state or government, he pointed out.

Zoltán Cséfalvay said that the concrete amount which Hungary can utilize from structural funds and the Cohesion Fund will be determined next year.

On answering the question of why it was him that Minister György Matolcsy had entrusted with this task, Minister of State Cséfalvay said, this assignment requires constant meetings in Brussels, inter-ministerial coordination is crucial and economic strategy is the field he has been responsible for.

He also stated that negotiations with international credit institutions has been the competence of Minister Mihály Varga,  and the job of the EU chief negotiator does not interfere with that position, as the issue of certain macro-economic preconditions belongs to the Ministry for National Economy.

The Minister of State said, regarding EU funds the interests of member states differ and the final outcome of negotiations shall be decisive, but it is already certain that while some funds will be allocated to countries, others will be accessible via tenders by all European countries.

(Ministry for National Economy)