The enlargement package presented by the European Commission last week confirmed Hungary’s position that the European Union remaining open to new members was a value that contributed to improving the competitiveness and the crisis management capacity of the Union, Parliamentary State Secretary Zsolt Németh declared before the parliamentary committee for European affairs on October 15.

The Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out the significance of the fact that all the countries aspiring to EU membership had made progress according to the Commission’s report.

The Commission took innovative steps to help maintain the commitment of those countries – such as The Former Yugoslav Republic of FYR Macedonia (FYR Macedonia)  or Turkey – whose accession process had faltered, Zsolt Németh stated, adding that new impetus was needed to advance the accession talks.

State Secretary Zsolt Németh welcomed the „new elements” in the report with respect to FYR Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo. In the case of FYR Macedonia the Commission stated that the name dispute with Greece could be resolved in the early phase of the accession talks and should not block the launch of these talks. Zsolt Németh added that this had been Hungary’s position in the past.  The report was more favourable in Albania’s case compared to earlier years, he emphasized. The novelty with respect to Kosovo was that the Commission expressed its readiness to conclude a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the country.

The Parliamentary State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also mentioned that Serbia needed to boost its integration efforts, including improvement in its relations with Kosovo. In connection to Croatia he noted that the accession process was proceeding properly, and the European Commission still anticipated the country to become an EU member by July 1, 2013.

Negotiations were proceeding steadily with Iceland, but it is important to keep the public well informed about the process, Zsolt Németh stressed. As regards Turkey, he recalled that the Commission’s report labelled the country as a key partner of the EU. Moreover, the report called attention to the importance of fighting corruption and organized crime in the case of Montenegro.

In response to Member of Parliament Péter Szalay’s (Fidesz) question, State Secretary Zsolt Németh declared that the future of the EU largely depends on whether it can successfully integrate the whole of Europe, adding that the Western Balkans was the next historic challenge, which implied not only advancing economic relations but reinforcing stability, democracy and the rule of law as well, he asserted.

(Prime Minister’s Office)