The opening ceremony has been held in Brussels for the H4- HunOR Representative Office, which will provide a more effective and active presence in Brussels for both the counties of Hungary and the Hungarian research and development sector.

The office has been opened under the auspices of the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice which, together with the Bay Zoltán Nonprofit Ltd. Company for Applied Research, has the main aim of supporting counties and the entire Hungarian R+D sector in gaining access to EU funding.

The primary aim of the office is the more effective use in Hungary of tender funding directly paid by Brussels to local government level or in the field of research and development. At present negotiations are taking place on the 2014 to 2020 Financial Framework, which will fundamentally change the use of funding. Thorough preparation for the significant changes are key to Hungarian success in the next seven-year period and this will be best served by gaining information from sources close to decision makers. This need for information is increased by the fact that county councils have a new development role to play as a result of Hungarian public administration reform. The H4-HunOr Office will prove an overview of all EU funds, will give information on calls for applications and aid in the creation of links with partners. The presence in Brussels will offer the opportunity for gaining first-hand information and the creation of reliable partnerships based on personal links. The main activities of the H4-HunOR Office opened in the Brussels Hungarian Development Centre are: interest representation, gathering and dissemination of information, establishment of a strong network of contacts with EU institutions and Hungarian and foreign representations in Brussels, partner search, image building, lobbying and the wider promotion of Hungarian research results in Brussels.

The office started its operations in Brussels this summer. It will forward information directly from Brussels through Hungarian networks to counties, local actors and those in the R+D+I sector. Since the summer the office has been building links with EU institutions, and Hungarian and other representations in Brussels.

At the event addresses were given by Dr. Marcell Biró, Minister of State for Public Administration at the Ministry for Public Administration and Justice, and Dr. Ágnes Szmolenszky, Foreign Relations Director at the Bay Zoltán Nonprofit Limited Company for Applied Research. The initiative was praised by Hungary’s ambassador to Brussels, Dr. Tamás Iván Kovács, MEP Tamás Deutsch, Deputy Mayor of Budapest Dr. Balázs Szeneczey and Tomas Wobben from the EU Committee of the Regions.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)