Hungary's Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracsics met Thorbjorn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, in Budapest on Wednesday to discuss changes proposed by the government to several laws recently criticised by the Council of Europe.

The government is ready to submit to parliament modifications to the new media laws, parts of which have recently been rendered unconstitutional by Hungary's top court, Navracsics told a press conference held jointly with Jagland. Navracsics said the government had asked the Constitutional Court to provide a detailed explanation of its ruling before it prepares a proposal for changes. The new legislation can be approved by parliament by the end of May, he said.

Navracsics said his meeting with Jagland had focused on the Venice Commission's opinions on Hungary's judicial reform and church law.

The Venice Commission, the CoE's advisory body, issued opinions earlier this week which were critical of Hungary's judicial reform and the church law.

Navracsics said the government had submitted proposals for amendments on the laws on the courts and judges, which it expects would give answers to the Commission's concerns. He added that the interests of the Council and the government coincided, as both wanted an independent more efficient judiciary to operate in Hungary.

Navracsics said he had told Jagland the reform aims at building a system which builds on good traditions of self-administration and which aims to increase efficiency by separating the posts of supreme court Curia president and the head of the new National Judicial Office.

On the subject of the media laws, Navracsics said that several amendments are being prepared to the law, which was rendered in part unconstitutional by Hungary's top court in December. The parts in question concerned the regulation of content in the printed press, protection of journalists' sources, requirements of data provision and the institution of media and telecommunications commissioner.

On the subject of the church law, Navracsics said he had told Jagland that the government's aim in restricting the number of recognised churches in Hungary was to create more transparency regarding the so-called business-churches and exclude them from eligibility for tax benefits.

Jagland said his talks with Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Navracsics had been "constructive" and that dialogue would continue with the Hungarian government.

He told the joint press conference with Navracsics that he had come to Budapest to help Hungary - with the assistance of the CoE's expertise - to meet norms, standards, important obligations, clauses in the European human rights charter. He said the CoE applied the same standard procedures in all 47 member states.

The government had asked the Venice Commission, an advisory body to the CoE, to formulate recommendations on its judiciary reform and church law and the CoE to comment on the media laws, he said.

On the judiciary reform, he said the Council's position is that too much power had been concentrated in the hands of the National Judicial Office's head. He added that his institution recognised the amendments the Hungarian government has announced, but the Venice Commission feels that "some more has to be done".

As regards the media laws, the Council regards the role of the Media Council excessive, Jagland said, adding that the government's latest amendments had not yet been assessed.

Jagland said the European Union has no competence over several issues that were addressed at the meeting, but the independence of the judiciary and freedom of expression were important European norms and Hungary's response to the now issued recommendations will be important for the European Commission.

Jagland's visit comes on the heels of the Venice Commission's opinions released earlier this week, which was critical of Hungary's judicial reform and the church law. It said that the basic elements of the changes to the court system were problematic, including the way the system is organised and that the rules on legal procedures deviated from European norms, while the independence of the courts themselves are in doubt.

The Venice Commission also said the church law broadly accords with liberal free-choice requirements but several aspects of the law are problematic and fail to live up to international standards.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)