- 2026-06-16 “Country specific recommendations or rule of law recommendations should not become binding. They must genuinely remain recommendations. More favourable pre and cofinancing rates a more balanced commitment profile and more flexible decommitment rules are also needed. While positive changes have been made regarding the Common Agricultural Policy, the application of digressive should also be made possible on a voluntary basis. Similarly to the capping of area based income support in heading two. Further work is needed to ensure that less developed member States also have better access to the increasing resources of the Competitiveness Fund and Horizon Europe, we consider it important to preserve the European Institute of Innovation and Technology in having free support for Western Balkan countries should be strengthened and ring fenced. We do not agree with the principle that any additional support due to one country should be prioritized at the expense of other enlargement countries. We would have expected a larger reduction of the administrative expenditures. Among the first measures of the new Hungarian government was a significant reduction in the salaries of political leaders and in the expenditures of Parliament. We expect similar steps from the EU institutions as well. Regarding the horizontal elements, we call for the strengthening of the role of the Council and the Member States in the governance, as it has not been demonstrated that the steering mechanism would have any added value. Other, more concrete changes are needed instead. Overall, it is clear that we still face difficult negotiations during which Hungary will be a firm but constructive partner in order to find appropriate solutions to the concerns we have raised. Thank you for your attention.”
EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
- 2026-06-16 “Thank you Marilena. First of all, Hungary welcomes the progress made on the sectoral regulations and wish to congratulate the presidency on the achievement. Nevertheless, as regards the regulation, we consider it necessary to underline that the proposed approval process of the NRP plans may delay the start of implementation of the chapters, thereby creating a risk that EU funds will not reach beneficiaries without interruption as of January 2028. In our view, this risk would have required a proper discussion during the negotiations and as a result, the introduction of certain chapter level flexibility mechanisms. We would like to ask to take into consideration our position during the forthcoming discussions of the NRP regulation. In addition, we reiterate that the NRP regulation is interlinked with the post 2027 cap regulations on which a general approach is expected to be reached only at a later stage. Therefore, depending on the future compromise on the Cap regulations, it may be necessary to revisit the Cap related provisions of the NRP regulation at a later stage. Thank you for your attention.”
Agricultural funding
- 2026-06-16 “Dear, dear president, dear colleagues, regarding the next MFF, the negotiating box with figures provides an opportunity to begin substantive discussions. We therefore thank the Cypriot presidency for its efficient work. At the same time, we regret that no changes have been made on the revenue side. Even though clear problems need to be addressed, the current system already puts too heavy burden on less developed member states, and the new package further increases regressivity. It is not a viable path for Hungary to become the largest contributor to the EU budget on a net basis during the next MFF. Such a situation would be unacceptable for us. Therefore, in order to reach an agreement in due time, the next presidency must address this issue without delay On the expenditure side, we do not dispute the importance of the new priorities, but their financing must not come at the expense of traditional policies. In line with the joint declaration of the Friends of Cohesion from May. Sufficient resources must continue to be provided for cohesion, policy and the Common Agricultural Policy. In this regard, we appreciate the step in the right direction that the Cypriot presidency has begun to strengthen national envelopes by reviving the Cohesion Fund to facilitate the faster start of the implementation of the single plans. Consideration should be given to the fact that the individual chapters of the Single Plan are characterised by sharply distinct policy objectives, territorial specificities and implementation measures. Therefore, sufficient flexibility should be ensured in the approval process through the chapter based approach to reflect this diversity. Also, in order to increase Implementability, member states should be granted greater freedom in the planning phase. The proposed Policy Reference Framework imposes excessive expectations and constraints on the Member States.”
Cohesion and rural funding · Size of EU budget
- “Thank you very much. I have already conveyed my message in person, but we would like to, uh, wish all the best for the Danish presidency for the next half a year. Uh, on the topic, uh, that has been raised, Hungary is committed to promoting, uh, the project. Uh, but we would like to emphasize the need for close communication and cooperation with non euro area member states and their citizens. Uh non-euro. Area members should not be burdened with additional responsibilities or treated in a way that could put them at a disadvantage, especially when it comes to meeting Deadlines. During the negotiations, it's crucial to pay special attention to safeguarding national interests, particularly regarding monetary sovereignty, economic stability, and the use of cash as well. Considering the potential use of the digital euro, Hungary would like to reiterate that it cannot replace cash. We believe that cautious approach would help ensure a feasible and legally compliant outcome, which I'm sure we all can agree is of paramount importance. We would therefore recommend taking the necessary time, as rushing the process could undermine the quality of final results if the negotiations take all these aspects into consideration.”
Digital euro
- “Thank you very much for giving me the floor. I wish to start by expressing my condolences [00:31:00] to the citizens of France and Germany for the recent attack. These are horrible, horrible events and everything should be done to prevent them in the future. To that end, we must protect and ensure peace and security and should consider exactly how these events took place. Turning now to the issues in front of us today, I am particularly pleased that the presidency has taken up these issues, and I thank the presidency [00:31:30] for all of their work because they've done a great job recently. We need to change the way we approach these matters. Criminal law often focuses on the offender, and now we're changing tack and looking at the victim. That is outside the traditional concepts of criminal law. We have often heard [00:32:00] the argument that this issue compensation, shouldn't be considered in criminal matters, because the inherent logic of criminal law is different. For many years, Hungary has built up experience in these areas because since 2007 we've built up a completely different system to what we had before. We've reorganized, we've set up victim protection mechanisms. Providing [00:32:30] victims with financial and other forms of support. Often when you are a victim, you don't know exactly who you need to turn to, who you have to contact. That's why I think that these compensation issues are particularly important, and the speed of compensation is of the greatest importance. Speedy support is necessary because that's the way that we can [00:33:00] really stand shoulder to shoulder with victims. However, if compensation were only possible as part of a criminal proceeding, it would slow everything down. It would slow down the criminal proceedings on the one hand, which is not something that we want. We want to accelerate those proceedings. Therefore, we think that parallel tracks are better. We want to retain the civil proceedings for compensation [00:33:30] so that victims can. Have their rights respected through the civil track. Turning to the rights of children, we shouldn't adopt a single uniform model. There are instances where the Barnhouse model is not the best. We want to retain flexibility. I thank you.”
EU policy on victims' compensation rights
- “Thank you very much, Lars. We welcome. The European Council will discuss the 2040 targets. And we repeat ourselves declaring that in our view, ACL needs a decision and guidance from the highest political level. We also welcome that the presidency recognises. We have stated from the very beginning that it would be premature to to reach a general approach today, but we agree that a political discussion is indeed vital to progress with the negotiations. We still think the 90% target is too ambitious. The discussion on the target level is not closed. We agree with Slovakia that the wisest choice would be to start from a lower realistic number, which could be increased in the future if needed. We also wonder who is going to reach that target? I would suggest to examine closely member States current emission reductions. Hungary has already reached nearly 48% emission reduction, while the European average is 38. Some parties that are calling for the highest ambition, however, lag behind in their domestic achievements. We should be more realistic. We have less than 15 years until 2040 and we need to lead by example. The world is not following numbers we put on a paper. They are only going to follow us if they see that ambition leads to the well-being of citizens and prosperous and competitive economies. We are open to use international credits from 2031. However, we would need to further elaborate the details. We agree with Poland that by stating that credits cannot be used under the ETS, we already discard the possibility that the Commission examines it in the ETS review on Lulucf. We cannot confidently be the next target on the decreasing sinks given the huge fluctuations. Recovering sinks requires a long time. We cannot find short term solutions. We share the assessment of France that sectoral specificities need to be reflected instead of sanctions based system.”
Energy (green transition)
- “Thank you, President. First of all, I'd like to emphasize [00:24:30] that today's challenges are Covid, the Ukrainian war. They require long term planning. But there are a lot of opportunities here as well. During the pandemic, special rules were introduced so that social benefits could still be guaranteed. So, for example, obligatory revision was postponed [00:25:00] and benefits are already paid, were automatically extended as a reaction to high inflation, which is a major burden on the population. Of course, several measures have been taken. Fuel and energy prices have been capped. The price. At the same time, we had price promotions for food and we had done a website introduced [00:25:30] for price supervision. Price monitoring and social benefits have been increased in line with the pensions and minimum income. On the second point, we think that the best way of combating poverty is to increase employment. So improving employment possibilities for people. [00:26:00] People who were excluded from the labour market and integrating them into the market. That is a priority priority for our government. Last question. In coordinating Social Security issues, we are focusing particularly on digitalization. We need to have information in real time with regard to consumers. We [00:26:30] already have to to cover the challenges which are already on the agenda. Technological development can strengthen social protection. It can be used for that. It's important for the increased technical opportunities to be used better. And also we need to increase access to social protection. And [00:27:00] we need to focus on people who live in extreme poverty. This can be a major help to them, particularly when services and benefits are not available in a particular place. So online services are very important and promoting access to those. Thank you very much.”
EU competences on social policies
- “As incoming presidency, [00:04:30] we would be happy to close this dossier. However, we would be more happy if the Belgian presidency could close this dossier because we believe that, uh uh, to effectively enforce the requirement of equal treatment, a uniform and EU wide directive is necessary to ensure the minimum level of legal protection in all Member States. Therefore, we from the Hungarian side support this directive. And thank you very much for your hard work. In order to make the text, [00:05:00] uh, to be able to be acceptable for us. Thank you.”
EU competences on social policies
- “Thank you, Minister. Let me start by expressing our appreciation to the Czech minister presenting the non-paper which was joined by Hungary. We considered the proposed application dates are unrealistic. They do not reflect the necessary time for the development [00:18:30] of new engines, including the testing phase, as well as the time required for approval, testing and the process of homologation. In our view, the impact of the proposal is questionable. First, it diverts the resources of vehicle manufacturers from Co two reduction developments. Second, the deduction of air pollution that can be achieved by reducing emission limits is a very slow process. While the replacement of an ageing second hand fleet would have a faster impact. [00:19:00] However, the proposal does not take into account the possibility of replacing vehicles in different Member states. In conclusion, we believe further work is necessary on the proposal and Hungary remains open to work on that constructively. Thank you.”
Road transport environmental policy
- “Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. First of all, let me thank Germany for raising this important issue. We fully agree that this disease causes enormous damage and its spread must be stopped. Uh, one of the tools, or rather, the pillars to do so is biosecurity. Without a high level of biosecurity, we have no chance for success. However, despite our efforts, we see that the current tools are by far not capable of delivering the expected results. The disease poses a number of new challenges for which we have to find solutions. Further to the already existing and applied measures, we also need additional new ones. One such measure could be responsible vaccination against the disease. The use of vaccination is hindered by many factors. Among these, trade barriers imposed by third countries on products of vaccinated animals should be highlighted. We must tackle these unfair trade barriers to ensure efficient disease management and the livelihood of our farmers and food industry. Thank you very much.”
Animal diseases prevention and management in the EU
- “Thank you very much indeed. Chair. Dear Kessler. I would like to wish the Polish presidency the best of luck and, uh, ensure that all of the work ahead of you will lead it to every success. I think that we are all here to ensure that we can make progress, because we are, I think, interested in ensuring that we can have a strong Europe. I'd like to wish our new colleagues who are here today also the very best for their future. Work with us. Dear Christoph. Dear Commissioner. I would like to express my gratitude to you for these proposals, and I'd also like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to discuss them. Hungary welcomes both proposals because we think that they will improve the position of farmers in the food supply chain. However, we would like to point out that the these proposals should, I think, be adopted before the legislative proposals for the Cap post 2027. There are a number of measures which are being proposed to improve the common organisation of agricultural markets. I think that we should further strengthen the type of cooperation which has a long tradition in our country. We can only have successful joint work if we are able to examine all of the proposals being put forward and compare them with the current practice.”
EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
- “And also we were trying to find methods to alleviate the consequences of such outbreaks. We built on the work of the previous presidencies, that is, Spain and Belgium. And you will find the summary of the work in document 16 26524. These activities have covered areas ranging from biosecurity to vaccination. And as for the people involved in the work, obviously there were ministers, competent authorities, scientific experts and stakeholders. You will remember, I'm sure that I remember I informed you in September of a summit on vaccination organized together with Western Balkan countries. I would like to thank the other two presidency members of our presidency trio, and I would also like to thank you personally and the, uh, the authorities that held us in your authorities, who helped us in our progress. I think these steps were very important in finding a solution. Now, as we plan our activities for the future, we should not forget the principle that prevention is always better than cure. Now the flow goes to Italy and they're going to present this AOB item item on animal diseases. I'd like to remind you that you will find additional information on this point in document 1656124. Francesco, the floor is yours.”
Animal diseases prevention and management in the EU
- “Thank you very much indeed. And I am extremely grateful to Romania for raising this issue on behalf of Hungary. I share concerns about the reduction in European livestock herds, and it's also concerning that we are reducing our animal products. It's important that good genetic stock is maintained. We support these elements of the proposal. However, it's important to bear in mind that ushering in these kinds of financial support might well distort competition on the livestock market for breeding animals. Therefore, we should apply a maximum amount in order to determine an amount of financial support that takes account of the requirements of the market and be appropriate.”
Agricultural funding
- “We also welcome the Commission's initiative, since energy storage will play a crucial role in maintaining our grid stability and reduce volatility of energy prices. We are looking forward to the tripartite agreement to which we propose the following elements. Firstly, defining and regulating minimum safety requirements, taking into account the safety risks posed by products produced in third countries. Secondly, strengthening European manufacturing capacity for energy storage device components and equipments in relation to the implementation of the Net Zero Industry Act regulation. We also propose to support recycling activities, taking into account the limited lifespan of energy storage equipments and issues of responsibility and in connection with CapEx subsidies. We should review the block exemption regulation in terms of restrictive provisions. And finally, we proposed to support technologies that no longer require development, but which are not yet commercially mature. Thank you very much.”
Energy (green transition)
- “Thank you very much for Poland for putting this question on the agenda. We fully support the contents of this document. And I'm convinced that the European Union should only conclude international agreements that take into account of the interests of the European farmers. This is dictated by common sense, the preservation of our food sovereignty and the long term European agriculture strategy. When we look at the agreements with Ukraine and Mercosur countries, sadly the situation is not the same. The excessively high quotas. Insufficient protective measure. The impact of the two agreements putting the European agriculture in a hopeless situation. This is especially true given that neither agreement has managed to make any meaningful progress in terms of requiring the same production standards which which further undermines the competitiveness in an already declining sector. I hope that the farmer protests of the recent weeks and the outcome of the vote in the European Parliament will give the Commission both a thought, um, with regard to both future trade agreements and application of the Mercosur agreement. And in the meantime, I also strongly agree with the Polish proposal that the Commission should set up a compensation fund to support European farmers who have suffered damage as a result of this irresponsibly concluded trade agreements. Thank you very much.”
Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports · Trade relations with Mercosur
- “Thank you very much, Chairman. First [00:28:30] of all. I'd like to express my sympathy to both Greece and Slovenia on the occasion of these natural disasters this year. We've seen a lot of sad examples of extreme weather events. So no, no member state is going to be spared. Or can. No country can be sure that they will [00:29:00] be spared the effects of extreme weather conditions, even if they take measures to abate them. Scientists feel that these natural disasters will be increasingly frequent in the future. Hungary is prepared to be prepared, be involved in the discussions on the crisis management instruments of the EU. Thank you.”
Climate efforts
- “Thank you chair. We support the presidency's approach to handle separately the negotiations of the new own resources and the negotiations of the MFF review. However, we think the indicated time schedule is quite ambitious and unrealistic with regard to the second basket of the new own resources, we are quite disappointed as the commitment made by the Commission to rebalance the unfairness of the first basket is not respected at all with this package. The proposals, especially the ETS based on resource with the higher call rate, are regressive and put heavier burden on the less developed member states, which goes against the protocol 28 of the treaty. Furthermore, the newest proposal concerning gross operating surplus is not a genuine resource. It is a simple national contribution based on an almost random statistical data. Moreover, befit which is the basis the Commission is trying to approximate with these statistics should not be pre-judged to any extent. Instead of creating unnecessary additional administrative burden and the whole new system to administer a completely unnecessary new statistics based on resource, we should use the GNI based own resources instead. The GNI based own resource has its well-functioning system, and it is fair and agreed by all Member States. With regard to the ambitious fit for 55 package, we believe that ETS auction revenues shall remain entirely at the Member States disposition. Reaching climate neutrality requires serious efforts from member states, which also depend on their national specificities. Therefore, it is important to use these revenues for climate purposes within their own competences.
Concerning the Ukraine facility, the Commission's proposal raises a number of crucial questions that must be clarified during the technical work before our position is formulated. I would raise two issues at this point. First, we would appreciate if the Commission could provide us with an evaluation of how Ukraine uses the existing support. Secondly, I would like to refer to a problem which is particularly important for Hungary. Taken into account, the large Hungarian minority living in Ukraine. The Commission initially indicated that the payment of the funds will be based on strict conditionality. According to the proposal, in order to receive any funding from the facility. Ukraine has to fulfill an important condition respecting democratic rules, rule of law and to guarantee respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. In our view, the rights of persons belonging to minorities is of utmost importance. The Commission indicated in its oral report on Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia that the condition related to national minorities is not yet fulfilled. The recommendations of the Venice Commission are not applied. It is important that this milestone should be in conformity with the conditions set for Ukraine in its accession process. We can only consider this milestone fulfilled if the condition linked to the Ukraine's accession process is also fulfilled. We would highly appreciate if the Commission could confirm our common understanding on this matter. Thank you.”
Own EU resources
- “It's still up to member States to define their internal procedures to implement the directive, and the text accommodates differences in national rules on driving disqualifications. Now, the scope of the directive is limited to serious driving offences, and the text was adjusted at several places to reduce administrative burden, for example. The duration of driving disqualifications to notify the content and format of the information to be exchanged, as well as the reporting obligations to the Commission. Now, apart from a limited number of mandatory grounds for exemptions that can be applied in a very simple way, a lot of flexibility has been left to member states to decide which grounds for exemption should be assessed. Um, the Commission will have the opportunity in a review to extend the scope of the directive and to further facilitate its implementation. I believe that the this compromise is fair to all. And now, first of all, let me give the floor to the commission and then to the delegations. Um, I'm asking everyone to limit your interventions to two minutes, please. But first, let's listen to what the commission has to say. Mr. Commissioner, the floor is yours.”
Road transport environmental policy
- “Thank you very much, Theresa. Hungary is committed to achieving the union's climate neutrality goals. In this sense, I would like to stress that we appreciate the work of the Spanish presidency. The text has improved in a lot of aspects. Nevertheless, some crucial questions are still pending. Just to mention a few improvements, we support the 7.5% target for semi trailers, the 2027 review [00:43:00] and exempting inter-urban buses from the 100% target. We also share that vocational vehicles should continue to be exempted from the scope. However, we still need to find a solution for the following major outstanding issues in order to create a better balance. We maintain that the 100% zero emission urban bus target for 2030 is unrealistic. The extension of the deadline to 2035 is vital for us. From the beginning of the negotiations, [00:43:30] we highlighted that more modest, achievable and realistic targets should be set. We could accept a maximum reduction of 40% for 2030 and 60% from 2035, and we can accept, of course, the 90% target for 2040. For us, technological neutrality is essential. That is why we support the inclusion of a carbon correction factor, as mentioned by Gilberto and Milan. We also support the proposal by Poland that extra EU trade aspects [00:44:00] should be taken into consideration and included in the review. Thank you very much.”
2035 ICE phase-out: strict zero-emission target vs. flexibility for carmakers · Road transport environmental policy
- “Measures that may appear coherent within a single policy area risk undermining overall competitiveness and driving production outside the EU. As for the automotive package, Hungary sees it as a meaningful step towards reinforcing Europe's global competitiveness and strategic autonomy. In the current global environment, the union must provide a regulatory framework that supports innovation, investment and industrial leadership. Ensuring genuine technological neutrality across the package is central to this, including in the implementation of the existing CO2 standards. Flexibility for manufacturers is indispensable for maintaining Europe's industrial base. We remain concerned that the current proposal on CO2 cars does not fully reflect these needs. The mandatory compensation scheme is problematic and still and fuel credits should function as incentives for decarbonization rather than obligations. Moreover, the feasibility of the proposed 7% steel credit target must be assessed realistically, given the limited availability and high price of green steel. Regulatory simplification is equally important. The automotive omnibus should reduce complexity and avoid introducing new administrative layers at a moment when may existing acts already require clarification. Thank you.”
2035 ICE phase-out: strict zero-emission target vs. flexibility for carmakers
- “Thank you Ellen. We also would like to thank the enormous efforts of the Belgian presidency to find a compromise on this very sensitive proposal and for the text, which in our view, is balanced and provides a good basis for compromise. We share the objective of the proposal to set up a monitoring system which provides sufficient and comparable data in order to assess soil health throughout Europe.”
Soil protection policy
- “To start with the shortest straight start. Dear Commissioner, Chair, Dear colleagues, in [00:31:00] order to deal to deal with the transformative impact of new technologies, we must conduct a constant and thorough analysis of the labour market. We must take into account the psychological health of workers as well. The Hungarian government is well aware of this development and supports these measures. We must ensure that digitalisation [00:31:30] leads to improvements in the elimination of inequalities. We must provide training, further training and conversion training for all those who need it. We must also take into account the disadvantaged and ways of bringing the unemployed on to the labour market. I would like to emphasize that it's very encouraging to hear that the [00:32:00] share of female graduates in the Stem subjects has risen quite significantly in recent years. The involvement of women is essential to make up for the labour shortages in this area, and we hope that this will be helped by the fact that the Nobel Prize was given to a Hungarian [00:32:30] woman. We must also use measures to assess the impact of new technologies. Hungarian Hungary feels that the current legislative and institutional framework could allow the development of risks. And given the amount of maneuvering room given to the member states.”
Funding for vocational training
- “(10:09:10 – 10:10:29): So in accordance with the applicable rules, we will now continue in open session. Any statement by the member states will be entered into the minutes of the meeting. We begin with the agreement in principle on the regulation amending Council Regulation, EC number 3 22 as regards funding arrangements and the use of diversified funding strategy. This amendment will allow the commission to align the funding method for the balance of payment facility to its diversified funding strategy already used for other instruments to enable faster and more efficient disbursement of funds. All clear. I see no objections. So I can conclude that the council agrees in principle on the draft regulation, amending council regulation number 3 30 twotwo thousand and 2 as regards funding arrangements and the use of a diversified funding strategy as set out in document 6,100 ninetytwenty 6 and agrees to request the consent of the European Parliament on the above mentioned draft council regulations. So now you can stop smiling because the cameras will be turned off.”
Own EU resources
- “Thank you very much, chair. Commissioner, I would first of all, like to thank France for having raised this issue, since this does seriously affect Hungarian farmers and Hungarian food security to free EU free change, free trade agreements to support the EU's economic and commercial position. But we also need to recognise the fact that the agricultural sector is more exposed to competition from third countries. Which is why we should pay particular attention to protecting sensitive agricultural sectors. In this regard, it's particularly important to ensure that the principle of reciprocity is respected, whereby products from third countries should be subjected to the same production requirements as those that European farmers have to abide by. I agree overall with this initiative to require that these requirements be met in terms of pesticide residues. Nevertheless, this is something which needs to be looked at closely and for all the possibilities and consequences of of maximum limits and detection limits would have what the impacts would be for consumers in the EU and for farmers. So we need to define specific proposals for changes to legislation following an impact assessment by the Commission. Thank you.”
Maximum residue levels
- “Thank you, Maria. First of all, let me thank Austria for putting this issue on the agenda. I find it essential that we have measures in place that help consumers make sustainable and informed choices because this is good, this helps, producing good quality foodstuffs and strengthens short supply chains.
By providing fair income to our producers, we also protect their interests. However, we must not ignore, the need to reduce the burdens in, the food chain, and we need to strengthen competitiveness. We must strike a balance between, agricultural production, food production and sustainability goals. Thank you.”
Agriculture (green)
- “Thank you, Madam Chair. We thank Germany for requesting this absolutely important agenda item. Hungary, as a sole member state, refused to support the adoption of this directive. Back then, we were of the opinion that its implementation would pose disproportionate burden to Member States budgets. Of course, we agree with the importance of protecting our environment, and we support the idea that manufacturers should participate in a responsible and proportionate way. But we need a halfway house because environment protection measures must be in line with other policy objectives, in particular the protection of health, public health. One of the greatest challenges now is to keep our industry competitive, and it is particularly relevant to the pharma industry. Access to medicines and decreased dependence on manufacturers outside the EU are central objectives of the pharma package and of the Regulation on Medicines of Critical Importance as well. And the Wastewater directive in its current form goes contrary to these aims.”
Water pollution
- “In addition, financial follow up of the mandatory spending ratio creates a huge administrative burden for the member states. In reality, all farmers are aware that it is in their interest to work towards sustainability, so level playing fields will never be an issue. I believe that level playing fields are more endangered by the Commission's concept of planning. Making various policies compete for the funds, on the other hand, And will jeopardize the level playing fields as well as the community nature of Cap. The Commission's proposal in its present form will cause serious issues in the implementation of Cap, as well as in its contribution to the green transition. The proposed funds are not enough to implement the targets, and the concept of a singleplanning is not functional for the area and animal based measures which follow a different logic. We expect serious problems during the discussion on green transition, as a result, that certain cap rules are included in both the regulation on single fund and the one on the implementation. How could we? Ministers of agriculture discuss and make a responsible decision about the green architecture rules. When all the relevant decisions such as the cause, no substantial harm principle or the rules on monitoring farm stewardship are all contained in the regulation of the single base. This would lead to an incoherent and unfeasible system. So may I request the presidency to consider the joint statement of the 17 member States and identify Cup related articles in the regulation of the Single framework and in the performance regulation, and insert them into the Cap regulation, as these are indispensable to ensure synapse integrity. Presidency. I have one additional request. I emphatically request that you do your best to strike an agreement about cap simplification with the European Parliament at the soonest. Farmers cannot be bothered. Why the first trilogue has hasn't been concluded. But it is vital for them to see that the rules in simplification come into force from next year. Thank you very much.”
Agricultural funding
- “Madam chair, the commissioner. Dear ministers, we would like to thank the Polish presidency for putting this very topical question on today's Council's agenda ahead of the preparation of the next MFF. We believe that the role of the cultural compass would be to provide strategic political direction for the effective treatment of the thematic diversity in the field of culture. Taking into account the horizontal cross-sectoral nature of this field, in doing so, it may adopt the perspective that culture plays a multi multi-phased role in representing EU values, fostering social cohesion, contributing to competitiveness and economic development. In this respect, the compass can build on the principles of community development and sustainability, as well as on existing synthetic work, either on the role of culture in international relations on or the definition of DOS. Addressing the recognition of culture as a standalone SDG. Moreover, it's also important to emphasize that the culture should not only be considered as a tool to increase the EU's competitiveness, but also to be recognized as a as a standalone own right, uh, and an important assessed asset. It's therefore essential that EU funds can support cultural initiatives directly, not only through objectives like education or lifelong lifelong learning. Institutions providing non-formal learning opportunities have a particular important role to play in this respect, and adequate support for them is also important for society as a whole. Ensuring adequate funding for the cultural and creative sector is essential in the future, and we in this respect, consider essential that the Creative Europe programme is maintained and continued during the next programming period. And we also think that the increase of budget is justified as more and more valuable, high quality projects are not being funded, even though they could contribute considerably to enrich our European cultural life. We think that the programme should remain autonomous by its framework as well, and better reflect the economic and social contribution and the strategic objective of the cultural compass and the future creative EU programme are closely linked. It's clear. And the the the this the recognition of the Creative Europe programme would also be contributing for strategic reinforcement of this sector. Thank you very much.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “Separate programs and policies, especially ones that prove that they can contribute to the competitiveness of the EU, should be maintained in a separate and independent way. In our view, cohesion policy is such a policy. We are against reshaping the cohesion policy modeling on the RF, which has already proven a failure and undermined the basic principles of cohesion funds. We need a dedicated cohesion fund, a stable fund. Concentrating on less developed regions. We also support a separate and independent cap with stable funding. We are expecting The migration priorities to be mirrored in the new fund, and we are also expecting the same norms to be applied all along the EU's external borders. It is probable that most countries of the West Balkans will be ready for accession before 2034, and we will have to have funds for that. It is especially regrettable that while there will be no financing for. Traditional EU policies, there will be thousands of new places created in the administration, and there will be hundreds of thousand euros spent on Frontex, which has proven unable to protect external borders so far. This proposal in its current form is unacceptable for us. It should be withdrawn and reshaped. Thank you.”
Cohesion and rural funding
- “Thank you. So, dear ministers, dear Vice Presidents, we thank the presidency for the update provided on this important file. Why the Hungarian government considers it utmost important to respect the principles mentioned, such as pluralism, independence of media and protection of journalists. We have [00:12:00] fundamental problems with the way Commission propose to do so. We maintain our position that the proposal violates the principle of subsidiarity and sovereignty of member states. It interferes with the exclusive competence of member states in several points. So we consider we would need more time. We should not rush the [00:12:30] process. So thank you.”
EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
- “The EU and its member states have made several efforts to improve economic, social and territorial cohesion, but there are still challenges and shortcomings. The objective of these conclusions is to improve further work on this area at national and EU level. We asked the member States to promote regional development strategies as well as coherence and efficiency when it comes to local and micro regional policies, and we have to pay specific attention to people exposed to poverty and the risk of social exclusion, including the Roma. And we also asked member states to promote these policies and cooperation between various government levels, including local and community level policies, to promote regional developments and reduce internal inequalities. We ask the Commission to keep in, to take into account the need to reduce territorial inequalities in the new Social Pillar Action Plan and in the EU's strategy against poverty, which will be adopted in the near future. The Imco and SPC committees are asked to examine how these indicators could be improved, and how this knowledge can be shared by the Member States. I am happy to inform you, colleagues, that we now have a consensus and agreement on document 15 six 1024 and I would like to ask you to adopt to approve these conclusions. Before giving you the you the floor. However, I'd like to thank all delegations and the commission for the support and and flexibility. And now I'd like to give the floor to the commission. Commission, please.”
Cohesion and rural funding
- “Thank you David. Let me thank the presidency for organizing this high quality and timely conference. When discussing the many challenges agriculture faces. We cannot forget about transboundary animal diseases in the prevention, treatment and eradication of epidemics as highlighted in the title of the conference. Close cooperation between veterinary [00:19:30] authorities and stakeholders is necessary. I welcome any initiative that expands and strengths and or tools for fighting diseases, and at the same time maintains our animal health status and possibility to trade. Thank you.”
Animal diseases prevention and management in the EU
- “Thank you very much, Theresa. And let [00:50:00] me also express our sympathy to the Swedish and Belgian delegation regarding the yesterday's terrorist attack. I would like to also thank Cerezo and the presidency team for your dedicated work and engagement to find a balanced compromise. We believe that the presidency's proposal contains many, many positive elements. For example, the provisions to facilitate. Flexibility support [00:50:30] schemes improved consumer rights, especially for the possibility of sharing.
[00:00:00] And we also welcome the timely review to simplify the process of the capacity mechanisms. That was a very important element for us regarding the much debated contract for difference scheme. We believe that the presidency's compromise proposal strikes a good balance by eliminating specific rules for existing power plants. I think we we like this solution because it leaves the approval of [00:00:30] the direct support scheme for the lifetime extension projects to a case by case assessment. So generally, I think the presidency's proposal is a very good basis. However, let me highlight two points. Firstly, if we would need to amend anything in the presidency's proposal, let me highlight that we cannot support [00:01:00] any amendment which will discriminate nuclear energy. Should it be a direct or an indirect discrimination? Indirect discrimination, I mean that we would introduce such complex regimes or schemes that in the practice would hinder investors to build nuclear projects, should it be new nuclear asset or lifetime extension. And finally, [00:01:30] my key point and key concerns of, of my delegation is the 66, a paragraph which we already expressed at the June council meeting. And this is actually about the new rules on the emergency price regulation, because we consider that this proposal does not offer enough flexibility for the member states to apply price regulation. [00:02:00] I think the last one and a half year was very clear. Several member states had to intervene and had to apply price regulation schemes in their countries. And actually, citizens and businesses are very much exhausted by the very high energy prices. So we cannot have we cannot repeat it 2 or 3 times from citizens and businesses point of view to face those very high energy prices. [00:02:30] So that's why for living member states, the opportunity to to regulate their prices. We think it's a very crucial element. So until this provision is there, unfortunately we cannot support the general approach. So that's why I asked you, Theresa, to reconsider this paragraph. Thank you.”
EU approach to electricity market and prices
- “Thank you, dear Minister. Dear Commissioner, ministers, be thankful for the presidency for putting this important issue on the agenda. We believe that the energy transition can only be successful if it adequately reflects the specific operation and the economic conditions of the aquaculture sector, in particular freshwater production. In this context, a successful transition requires simpler, more predictable, predictable and technological neutral regulatory environment. Reducing administrative burden is important for the sector. At the same time, it is essential to ensure a level playing field, as many others stressed that as the imported products must also comply with EU sustainability standards. We should not forget that the energy transition requires a significant investment that the sector cannot finance on its own. It is therefore crucial to ensure stable long term financing, as well as the efficient use of EU funds and support for productive investments. We should also avoid financing solutions that could lead to an uneven level playing field between member states. There is a need to reduce investment risk in the sector and create an environment conducive to capital inflows. In addition, regional cooperation should be strengthened, taking into account the diversity of our sector. Transition should be therefore realistic, fair and economically viable. Finally, we would like to thank the Vice-Chair Vice Minister for raising the issue. Launching a Structured Dialogue on freshwater Aquaculture. We support all initiatives that contribute to achieving the objectives of agriculture and addressing common challenges more effectively. Thank you.”
Funding for fisheries and aquaculture
- “Thank [00:36:30] you very much, Madam Chair. Let me start by saying that we welcome all initiatives that aim to improve the social inclusion of young people in Europe. Since in Hungary, it is a priority that young people can influence their life and have a real impact on their development of our societies and have adequate living conditions. We believe that focusing on young people with fewer opportunities is of paramount importance as well. Dialogue between decision makers and [00:37:00] young people is facilitated by the EU Youth Dialogue and in Hungary by the Have Your Say campaign, led by the National Youth Council. The EU offers many opportunities that can serve as incentives for young people to participate. Among programmes facilitating mobility, Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps, but a special focus on young people with fewer opportunities as well. It is our common mission to inform young people [00:37:30] about these opportunities and to address those who are traditionally difficult to reach. We believe that EU youth policy should effectively contribute to addressing the challenges and the social issues of next generations such as mental health, housing situation, sustainable development and climate change. We need to listen to young people about what matters to them. In Hungary, the proposals made by the regional student parliaments are taken [00:38:00] into account during designing policies through the work of the National Student Council and the National Student Parliament. In this context, we pay special attention to representatives of small communities and young people with fewer opportunities. So all in all, I would like to repeat that we welcome all these initiatives. Thank you very much.”
EU volunteering programs
- “Thank you, Austria, for requesting this agenda point. Fully share your concern. When I look at the fertiliser prices and sales trends, reduction in the use of input materials has a seriously negative impact on the entire agriculture. I find it essential that the commission should look at all means that could reduce fertiliser costs and improve our farmers competitiveness. Sebum regulation further weakens the position of the producers, which is why I support postponing its entry into force in case of fertilisers. Thank you very much.”
Use of fertilisers
- “Thank you. Chair. Dear Commissioner, we thank the French delegation for the information. We share the concerns regarding the future availability of medical devices and especially in vitro diagnostics. We cannot allow a situation where the care of patients is jeopardized due to the non-functioning of regulatory framework. That is why we support a thorough assessment of the current situation and, if needed, [00:16:30] the modification of the legislation. Moreover, Hungary is willing to cooperate in improving the efficiency of this legislation. Thank you.”
Medical devices
- “21:13 – 10:23:54): It's a great pleasure for me to be able to participate at the last JHA Council under the Cyprus presidency. Our government started its work only a few weeks ago, but we did receive from the voters, from the population an unprecedented mandate, and this points clearly to our commitment to the EU.
In the very first days of governmental work, we tried to take the necessary steps, which are very important for the EU's values. And also when it comes to sincere cooperation, so we did try to take the symbolic steps, which are a clear signal to our European partners. They show that we are committed.
When it comes to parenthood, this regulation, draft regulation is very complex. And a lot of relevant questions when it comes to practical applicability still need to be sorted out. Of course, these elements of the regulation are closely interlinked with each other, so it would be very hard to pinpoint specific elements or problems which would have to be treated as a priority in order for us to be able to move on.
Scope, applicable law, jurisdiction or the certificate. The rules on these cannot be clearly delineated from each other, but what we need is a system that is balanced and it works in practice.
Obviously, a lot of time has passed since the negotiations began, but we believe that the technical level discussions will have to be continued until we get closer to a draft which is supported by a significant percentage of the member state. That then we will be able, as member state, to decide responsibly about the draft, whether or not we can support it, and then we can also think in terms of alternatives.
So this means that we can support the idea to support technical work. And obviously, we can speed this up because there will be no similar parallel files when it comes to civil law. In the next period, there will be no other files, and we are very happy.”
Jurisdiction conflicts between EU and national courts
- “Thank you very much, Mr. President. And first of all, let us thank the Commission and DG agri for drafting and presenting the strategy. We consider generational renewal a really important issue, especially if we take into account that ageing of the farmer population is becoming a bigger and bigger problem in almost all the member states. We will examine the strategy, of course, in detail, but according to our preliminary views, improving access to land, finance and knowledge or increasing the resilience are all key issues and indispensable for encouraging generational renewal. I want to highlight two particular elements of the strategy, which at first sight raised concerns for us and hearing other interventions. We are not the only ones. Firstly, like a number of member states, we neither think that it's realistic to use 6% of the amount allocated to cap income support for generational renewal, especially if we take into account the proposed cuts in the Cap budget. And we shouldn't forget that the 6% cut is not included in the Cap legislative proposal, and we hope that it won't be forced through the Cap recommendations. And secondly, we are strongly against the idea of depriving retired farmers from from direct payments. We do not think that such a radical instrument is needed to force generational Renewal. Instead of this, we believe we should put even more emphasis on supporting the transfer of farms. To conclude, I want to confirm that Hungary's willingness to participate constructively in the council negotiations regarding the strategy. Thank you very much.”
Direct payments to farmers (pillar 1)
- “Measures that may appear coherent within a single policy area risk undermining overall competitiveness and driving production outside the EU. As for the automotive package, Hungary sees it as a meaningful step towards reinforcing Europe's global competitiveness and strategic autonomy. In the current global environment, the union must provide a regulatory framework that supports innovation, investment and industrial leadership. Ensuring genuine technological neutrality across the package is central to this, including in the implementation of the existing CO2 standards. Flexibility for manufacturers is indispensable for maintaining Europe's industrial base. We remain concerned that the current proposal on CO2 cars does not fully reflect these needs. The mandatory compensation scheme is problematic and still and fuel credits should function as incentives for decarbonization rather than obligations. Moreover, the feasibility of the proposed 7% steel credit target must be assessed realistically, given the limited availability and high price of green steel. Regulatory simplification is equally important. The automotive omnibus should reduce complexity and avoid introducing new administrative layers at a moment when may existing acts already require clarification. Thank you.”
2035 ICE phase-out: strict zero-emission target vs. flexibility for carmakers
- “Thank you Louise. I thank the Spanish presidency for the work done and for the progress report. The proposal is very important for us because seed production, plant propagating, material production and varietal selection have century old traditions in Hungary. And of course, we must not forget that the plants used in agriculture are key genetic resources [00:23:00] which form the basis of food production. We agreed that the EU regulations on plant propagating materials need to be revised. We need regulation that allows for retaining existing national characteristics, and which do not unreasonably increase the administrative burden on businesses and authorities. I think it's important to expand European level monitoring and harmonise it across member states. [00:23:30] I believe that this should be done by respecting existing member state practices. In future, we will need high quality, properly documented seed and plant propagating material production, one that is able to cope with the challenges of climate change. This is essential for maintaining the wide variety of wood species in Hungary, and the biological diversity diversity of our forests. I cannot agreewith the mandatory introduction of national contingency plans. However, obviously we must be prepared for unexpected events, but I do believe that contingency plans should remain in the competence of national states. Member states. National forestry authorities are best placed to assess what measures are needed in forests to effectively manage emergency situations. To conclude, let me wish the Belgian presidency every success in the negotiation of proposals. [00:24:30] They can count on our constructive support.”
Sustainable use of seeds in EU policy
- “Thank you, Maria, and thank you to the presidency for putting these very important topics on the agenda. Hungary has supported the four main priorities set out in the vision from the outset over the past year. I particularly welcome the generational renewal strategy, as facilitating the entry of young farmers is crucial. I also look forward to the forthcoming livestock strategy. I consider the adoption of the cap simplification package to be a significant step forward, and it is essential that these achievements are preserved in the post 2027 cap. I also positively assess the Food and Feed Safety omnibus proposal, and look forward to its swift adoption. Strengthening producers protection position in the food supply chain has also seen important progress, including the adoption of rules on cross-border unfair trading practices and a targeted amendment of Common Market Organisation regulation. As I said, we generally agree with the visions objectives, but ultimately any strategy is only as valuable as its implementation. In this respect, the post 2027 cap will play a key role. We continue to have serious concerns about the Commission's proposals, particularly the single plan single fund approach, which does not provide an adequate framework either financially or structurally, to achieve the objectives set. Therefore, I am convinced that we have to improve these proposals. The Visegrad countries, along with Bulgaria and Romania and their agriculture ministers, outlined their Expectations last week in a joint declaration.”
EU policy on farmer–buyer relations in the agri-food supply chain
- “Thank you Allah. First I would like to express my appreciation to the bad presidency for the work they've done on this important file. I believe it is crucial to ensure environmental sustainability, ides and the food sector as they represent two of the most resource intensive industries causing significant environmental impact. We are of the view that the tax is well balanced and addresses most of the major concerns of the member states regarding the food waste reduction. I recommend this before that we should set a realistic and achievable target which does not jeopardise the competitiveness of the European Union. We would like to express our special thanks for the compromise text on the extended producer responsibility rules for textiles. And we are grateful that our position and nothing has been taken into account finally on behalf of the incoming Hungarian presidency, provided of course that the council position would be adopted, our plan is to start the inter-institutional negotiation with the parliament as soon as possible, make progress and hopefully reach a political agreement. Thank you very much.”
Food waste
- “The proposal is still not flexible enough. The limits are overly rigid. The 3% cap for fuel credits is not substantiated, therefore should be removed or increased. Sustainable fuels should be incentivized as they have great potential in transport emission reductions. We support the use of low carbon steel while noting its limited availability and recommend adding other materials such as aluminium. The crediting should start earlier. These would provide more flexibility and yield emission reduction benefits. Averaging should be five years instead of three. The industry's developments should be closely monitored, including infrastructure competitiveness and availability of raw materials. Ev uptake and technological progress. We should do a follow up whether the flexibilities are effective. We think that the 2035 review is too late and should be brought forward to 2030. We agree that we need an effective and predictable legislation and should not recourse to continuously revisiting the legislation for that. However, the most important prerequisite is to agree on a realistic and effective legislation. Now, while maintaining the pathway to electrification we need. Pragmatism and ambition to be coupled with economic feasibility and competitiveness. Thank you very much.”
2035 ICE phase-out: strict zero-emission target vs. flexibility for carmakers · Road transport environmental policy
- “And thank you, Minister. We wish to start by thanking Austria to highlight the importance of this issue for our future. Hungary fully shares the concerns raised [00:23:00] regarding the authorization of the production and distribution of lab grown meat. In our view, there might be many negative consequences that cannot be assessed in advance without a comprehensive impact assessment. These are primarily the protection of the human health, as well as the impact of the expected decline in the traditional animal husbandry based production on agriculture and rural areas. Therefore, it's essential [00:23:30] to assess and objectively evaluate the health, environment, social and economic effects of the lab grown meat production compared to the currently used production methods. Without the comprehensive impact assessment and social consultation, it would be irresponsible to introduce regulation and authorisation in a subject that affects many areas and brings about a fundamental change compared to the current perception. Thank you.”
EU policy on lab-grown meat
- “It is essential to find an appropriate solution to control them. We therefore ask the commission to relax the rules on the approval of active substances for substances that play a key role in the control of quarantine pests and their vectors. We also ask the Commission to consider making high resolution satellite images available to Member States for the purpose of detecting infected vineyards and monitoring any drubbings. At the same time, the rules on support should be made more flexible, and efforts should be made to ensure that farmers do not lose their eligibility for support if they use a specific insecticide that is not authorised for support, but is essential for control. And early detection is also crucial. And to this end, it is essential to make detection more effective. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that in order to control the pests, it is very important that in all concerned Member States, phytosanitary measures be properly implemented. The spread of the pest can only be slowed down through joint action by all stakeholders.”
EU policy on pesticides
- “10:41 – 10:12:05): Thank you, president, direct executive, vice president, dear colleagues. The minister apologized for not being able to hear today because he has an important vote in the parliament.
Hungary supports all initiatives that reduce bureaucracy and strengthen competitiveness. We believe that highly digitalized and interoperable services are the right step to have businesses of all size.
We thank the presidency for the text, which has moved in the right direction on several aspects by improving the definitions, respecting the already well functioning mission procedures, and safeguarding member states' competence in company law.
However, introducing a new solution should not mean that we simply replace established systems without a careful look at where it will actually be useful in practice. We still need a clearer view of the concrete use cases where the wallet will bring real added volume and not cause unnecessary burdens for public administrations.
We share an optimistic view for strengthening the trust architecture, but it should not come at the price of eroding their functioning national processes. All in all, we can support the general approach, but at the same time, we must keep in mind that many of the ambitions in the in this text will only become reality if the implementing acts properly reflect member states' practical needs and ensure a workable solution in practice. Thank you for your attention.”
Electronic identity
- “Thank you. On the Steel and Metals Action Plan, Hungary considers the framework both necessary and well targeted. For us, the decisive question is whether implementation will deliver the fundamentals that industrial needs affordable and predictable electricity, effective trade, defence instruments capable of addressing global overcapacity and secure access to strategic feedstocks. Above all, steel scrap, which is essential for the electric arc furnace production and at the same time the internal market must remain fair and undistorted. Differences in energy prices or state aid capacity cannot be allowed to translate into structural disadvantages within the EU. Flexibility in implementation is important. So the national industrial structures and value chains specificities can be reflected. The plan must support primary production, downstream processing and recycling in a balanced way. If it's to strengthen resilience across the full ecosystem. In this context, I would like to mention that it is difficult to get financing from the Innovation Fund, even for green steel projects that are recognised as strategic. Turning to chemicals, the competitiveness gap facing the sector has become structural. If Europe wishes to avoid further capacity reductions and the growing dependence on production outside the EU. Urgent action is required, as several of us already called for this morning. The chemical industry should be treated as a horizontal sector, whose specific circumstances must be taken into account in the design and implementation of other EU Policies without such an integrated approach.”
Energy (green transition)
- “Secretariat general that we can begin streaming. The next item on our agenda is the challenges faced by the EU food chain, which will discussed in a single unit by France and Spains European coordination point for animal health vaccination under any other business. The union's food chain is a major sector evidenced by the fact that approximately 29 million people are employed by agriculture, food processing, food retail, and catering. Even though this sector is producing a very major part of the added value, it's facing several challenges. And in recent years we've on several occasions discussed some of these and recently we've seen many public health and animal health and significant plant and animal diseases important from an economic point of view and they have been making major losses and also burdening the participants of the food chain. There are many other challenges in the sector. The reasons lie partly in the rise of antimicrobial resistance and the lack of detailed rules.
There are also difficulties due to the discrepancy between requirements within the EU and outside the EU in terms of sustainability, animal welfare and consumer information. In June, the council adopted conclusions calling on the commission to examine how we could improve the management of animal and plant health programmes, co-funded by the EU and as part of the single market programme. And the commission was also tasked with the examination of how to alleviate the food chain, the food chain players administrative burdens. So this is what we will be discussing today and we'll be talking about how we can best meet these challenges and improve the competitiveness of the EUs food chain.
And the point is that we need to make sure that the players of the food chain continue to provide EU citizens with sufficient safe and nutritious food stuffs. The presidency has prepared a document. The number of the document is 1 4 2 7 2 stroke 24, which has been distributed to all of you. And there are two questions set out in this document which serve as the framework for today's discussion. So the first question is do you share the list of challenges highlighted? Do you see other major challenges that the EU food chain could face in the coming years? The second question is, in your view, which measures would add value and help reconcile the competitiveness of the EU food chain while continuing to provide safe and nutritious food, insufficient amount to EU citizens? So first I'll ask the commission to present its point of view on this topic and then I'll give the floor to Spain to inform us about document 1 4 5 9 2 stroke 24 on the European coordination of animal vaccination. And I'll also ask the delegate to answer the two questions as he goes along and then the delegations will have the floor. Without further ado, the floor goes to the commission. Yanu, you have the floor, so it's your turn.”
Animal diseases prevention and management in the EU
- “It is very disappointing that despite of the request of majority of the member states during the negotiations, the Commission has failed to provide adequate information regarding the reasons for this exclusion or the future of the EIT. Therefore, it is for us, the Council, to address this matter and to to clarify the legal uncertainty. And we call for the Cypriot presidency to address this matter regarding the innovation ecosystem and the implementation of the knowledge Triangle by reintegrating the EIT and its kicked to the proposal. Third, many, many ministers also referred to the issue of governance is a critical precondition for the way forward. Um, we require clear, defined strategic priority setting mechanism aligned with the governance structure that defines the roles and links between Horizon Europe and the Competitiveness Fund, as the current alignment presents certain challenges and requires a fundamental review. In our view, the Spanish proposal for the operational and pragmatic Programmatic separation of these instruments could offer a viable solution. Therefore, we would support that approach. And finally, as many others around the table said, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. With this, we wish good luck for the achieved or set ambition for May. Thanks.”
EU-level coordination of research agendas
- “21:35 – 11:22:40): Thank you, president. Dear executive vice president, dear colleagues. Hungary welcomes the efforts made by the Cyprus presidency regarding the negotiations on the cybersecurity package and remains, of course, open to forward-looking cooperation with the incoming Irish presidency as well.
Member states, including Hungary, view the agency for cybersecurity as an important and reliable partner and facilitator. We welcome the fact that the proposal suggests that the agency's mandate should be more streamlined. The main focus of ENISA's activities must remain on supporting member states in their cybersecurity-related tasks.
The review of ENISA's mandate must not lead to a reduction of tasks that are already well and efficiently performed at the member state level. Hungary believes that a predictable and transparent regulatory environment is a key element for growth and a more competitive European entrepreneurial ecosystem, and this is particularly true in the context of digital regulations. Thank you.”
Scope of EU cybersecurity obligations
- “Thank you chair. We welcome the discussion on this important package. We support simplification and convergence of supervisory practices. However, like other member states, we are rather skeptical about the centralisation of the supervision, which can increase costs and may have negative effects on the goal to increase retail investor base and SME participation locally. National competent authorities are familiar with their local markets. So disempowering or constricting their abilities to holistically supervise their markets and take major risks. In case Asthma's direct supervision were to be introduced, the concept of significance should be defined. It should be based primarily on the impact of on EU economy and size. However, we are sceptical on the group criterion regarding the supervision supervisory set up. We would welcome thorough discussion of alternative models in the Council Working Group. Altogether, we would welcome the focus on the reforms that would effectively mobilise long term savings and channelling them towards productive investments on asthma governance. We believe that sufficient involvement of the Board of Supervisors is necessary, and the set up of the Executive Board should also respect geographical balance. Thank you.”
Financial regulation
- “Thank [00:34:00] you. Minister. Let me start by thanking Romania, Slovakia and Finland for raising this issue. Uh, Hungary, support the call for a careful examination by the Commission, together with the member states experts. Whether a change of the conservation status for the brown bear population may be justified. Taking into account the recent serious accidents. In this context, we would stand ready to support an eventual proposal for modification. Hungary also [00:34:30] welcomes the intention suggestion for international cooperation on the management, monitoring and research of populations. We are ready to further enhance knowledge sharing on the large carnivore population in Hungary, and to consult with neighboring countries on the management of these populations. Thank you.”
Nature protection and restoration in the EU
- “Thank you Magnus. Dear colleagues, oceans and marine biodiversity play a crucial role in regulating the climate, ensuring food security and maintaining the resilience of ecosystems in Europe and also worldwide. Although Hungary is a landlocked country, we acknowledge that the health and good environmental status of the oceans are linked to our inland waters, including lakes, wetlands and especially the status of rivers. In fact, substantial pollution loads reach our country too via rivers or originated abroad as a result of inadequate waste management. The land based solution, including nutrient, plastic and chemical substance pollution, poses a serious threat to seas and oceans as well. Safeguarding marine biodiversity is therefore a shared responsibility that requires coordinated actions from both coastal and inland countries. This must be pursued in line with the source to sea approach, which aims to minimize pressure on marine environments. The widespread deployment of early warning systems is also important to ensure sufficient time for response in case of river pollution resulting from accidents. A good example of this is the Danube Accident Emergency and Warning System. The loss and degradation of marine habitats, pollution, unsustainable fishing practices, and the intensification of human activities represents some of the most pressing, pressing challenges to marine biodiversity. A key instrument to address these challenges is the agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of marine Biological Diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, which is, as we mentioned today, expected to enter into force soon, partly with our help, as Hungary felt it within its responsibility for all of us to ratify the agreement as a landlocked country. However, finally, we have to mention that it is important that legal issues relating to the implementation at EU level are clarified at the earliest possible instance. Thank you very much.”
Water pollution
- “There [00:30:30] are barriers on regulatory, legislative and even on funding level of European research, which can have a negative impact on EU economy and also on the labour market. We should be aware of not building more barriers in networking, cooperation and funding. We need an economy and labour market focused research and development strategy. Research should be mission [00:31:00] based, and our mission cannot be different than strengthening the competitiveness of our countries. The word competition of research is just like auto second poses. As we know from the Nobel Prize awarded Franz Kraus in Hungary. We believe that in order to revitalise EU industry and economy, it is necessary to increase the share of innovative enterprises. This requires creating [00:31:30] favourable conditions and national, on national and EU level through attractive regulatory and fiscal framework, cutting the red tape and facilitating access to financial support. At the same time, enterprises should be strengthened by supporting their technological and organizational innovation, promoting partnership between industry and universities and involving them in knowledge and technology transfer activities. Responding [00:32:00] to the challenges of recent years, we have restructured the Hungarian higher education system with close collaboration with our universities, and the outcomes are more than promising. The Minister of Culture and Innovation has adopted a set of priorities strategic actions for 2023, with the overall aim of the Neumann Janos, so-called John von Neumann programme, to link universities and economy [00:32:30] to associate them in line with the EU innovation agenda.
The programme has identified four focus areas to increase the economic impact of research and development spending. These are healthy living, green transition of the economy, digital transition and safety and security. Another important priority that the programme must have a clearly measurable economic, social and intellectual scientific impact. For this reason, [00:33:00] it is our priority to the economy. Utilisation of the knowledge generated by universities and the research institutes has to be realised as much as possible. We intend to realise this with three principles one. Research and development related financial support is given. We expect new products, patents, patents and incomes from these patents. We strongly support technology transfer. We put incentives in the sponsorship of universities and research institutes over [00:33:30] the past years. Hungary. Research Development Policy has launched a number of incentives to encourage cross sectional cooperation. I would emphasize it again do not build barriers. We need connectivity. We need competitiveness and equal access to research, financial support. Thank you for your kind attention.”
Research priorities within the EU
- “Thank you. Portugal for requesting this agenda item. Hungary welcomes all measures aimed at mitigating the risks of adverse weather and natural disasters. I find that Portugal's proposal to develop a EU reinsurance mechanism. Extremely timely management of transboundary catastrophes and natural damages is not feasible under the present market conditions, as the risk community is too small and highly affected in comparison to the extent of the damage, and there are only a limited number of providers offering agricultural insurance with a limited risk bearing capacity. Consequently, it is unavoidable to involve EU measures into the management of catastrophic damages. The community's reinsurance scheme could cover losses with quick payments based on objective criteria, which could enhance producers resilience and contribute to a more stable insurance market and the consolidation of the internal market. Thank you.”
Agricultural funding
- “We appreciate the efforts that have been made by the Spanish presidency and the Commission to promote negotiations on this issue. We have to have a balanced [00:27:30] approach, and we believe that the important thing is. That for new technologies. Member states production rights are guaranteed. We need to see what technologies are going to be used to produce plants on our territory. We believe. That we need to keep in mind the importance of solidarity and in the Council's position. Therefore, we have to make it possible for there to [00:28:00] be an opt out. We need to focus on the key elements, and we are therefore not in favor of these criterias would be able to be amended by the Commission through delegated acts. It is absolutely vital that we clarify what Member States rights are. So as we properly understand the consequences of these measures for farmers. We need to also take into account the fact that the proposals need to be in line with our international obligations. For environmental protection. We also need to take action to promote alongside environmental activism. We need to take action to protect human health, and we therefore need to have a proper control of energy plants. For. Labelling as well. We need to take into account consumers health, and we hope it will be possible for us to come up with a set of rules that take into account the principle of subsidiarity. Environmental and health issues and consumer protection. Thank you.”
New Genomic Techniques
- “We can support the goal of reaching a general approach by the end of this year. However, I would like to underline again that Hungary quality is more important. Uh, simply reaching a quick compromise given the different pace of the progress of the negotiations. Hungary is also open to addressing the issues of the digital euro. Separately from those of Euro cash if necessary. When it comes to compensation and privacy, we see. As complex issues that should be resolved at council working group level, rather than putting questions for ministers to answer. Regarding the governance of holding limits. We believe that the active involvement of the Member States is necessary to achieve comprehensible rules that are not too strict. As for the decision to launch the digital euro, in our view, once the digital euro regulation has been adopted, member states will definitely have to be involved in deciding on the issuance of it. Finally, on the remaining open political questions, we believe that the issue of the distribution of the digital euro outside the euro area is more a political question rather than a pure political one, a technical one. Sorry. Thank you.”
Digital euro
- “It is very disappointing that despite of the request of majority of the member states during the negotiations, the Commission has failed to provide adequate information regarding the reasons for this exclusion or the future of the EIT. Therefore, it is for us, the Council, to address this matter and to to clarify the legal uncertainty. And we call for the Cypriot presidency to address this matter regarding the innovation ecosystem and the implementation of the knowledge Triangle by reintegrating the EIT and its kicked to the proposal. Third, many, many ministers also referred to the issue of governance is a critical precondition for the way forward. Um, we require clear, defined strategic priority setting mechanism aligned with the governance structure that defines the roles and links between Horizon Europe and the Competitiveness Fund, as the current alignment presents certain challenges and requires a fundamental review. In our view, the Spanish proposal for the operational and pragmatic Programmatic separation of these instruments could offer a viable solution. Therefore, we would support that approach. And finally, as many others around the table said, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. With this, we wish good luck for the achieved or set ambition for May. Thanks.”
EU-level coordination of research agendas
- “And the [00:06:30] Council also said that they would like to deal with this issue, address this. We we need to prevent the abuse of the system. We need to eliminate incentives for illegal migrants. Obviously, we are politicians at this table and obviously for many of us, it would mean a breath of fresh air in terms of domestic politics. If we can approve this general approach. [00:07:00] But if you think in terms of outside what dimensions, what it means for someone, say, from Africa, it means a letter of invitation because they will know how the proceedings will take place in Europe. So that's let me repeat a standing invitation for these people. Hungary had a year long practices where [00:07:30] we implemented the procedures at the border and they were free to leave outside the European Union's territory, but not inside. However, the European Court of Justice ruled ruled against us in this matter, so we had to discontinue this practice. Thank you for listening to me.”
Asylum & border control
- “Thank you very much to Slovakia for bringing this issue to the agenda. I fully share the concerns, expressed by Slovakia. The, unprecedented draft situation impacts Hungary in a similar fashion. And therefore, I ask that the commission should elaborate immediate, ways to manage the situation and open the agricultural reserve to compensate, the farmers.
We need immediate EU level action because, farmers are, suffering under rising energy cost draft, the limited availability of fertilizers and decreasing cost at, decreasing revenues. I believe it is extremely important that after 2027, the units stay fit in net will be, implemented, and it should be also available to, serve, to compensate these losses. Thank you.”
Use of fertilisers
- “We would like to express our appreciation for the Belgian presidency, for its work on progressing. On the debate of the 2040 framework. We maintain that a successful green transition can only be achieved if we ensure the competitiveness of European industry. Social acceptance among Europe's European citizens and the just and fair energy transition in order to preserve the competitiveness of the European economy and to avoid massive carbon leakage and the trend of relocation of businesses. A careful approach of climate measures, including carbon pricing instruments, is needed for the post 2030 framework, where legislation is also based on business reality and different starting points. We need to make Europe more attractive for investments in order to attract FDI in the EU, we should facilitate the effective implementation of the 2030 framework and where it is necessary, examine the possibility of fine tuning. Reaching climate neutrality cannot be performed in a single step, and we need all relevant technologies respecting technology. Neutrality is of key importance. We need to push for emission reductions globally, but to be efficient in this endeavour and to remain credible, we have to demonstrate economic strength and that European measures led to success and are widely supported. Demand side measures, such as circular material use, can contribute to our climate goals and should be designed in a way that citizens do not feel forced to radically and instantly change their lives. The viability of investments in green technologies should be incentivised through enabling legal conditions. Let me conclude by expressing that as the incoming presidency of the Council, we are ready to continue discussions on the post 2030 30 framework. Thank you.”
Climate efforts
- “To switch on the cameras and to confirm to the secretariat that the broadcast can proceed. I would like to welcome the viewers joining us now. We will start the public session with information on current legislative proposals under examination. I refer you to the presidency document, which includes a brief description of the progress of works carried out under our presidency as regards these files.
The council took note of the information provided by the presidency on the current legislative proposals. We have concluded the information items in public session. I would now like to ask the technicians to switch off the cameras and to confirm.”
Transparency requirements of EU institutions
- “The letter and the drug reports also highlighted. How important employment and social policy are when it comes to the creation of a sustainable, resilient and future proof single market. And also when it comes to repairing our competitiveness and productivity. For all of these priorities, the development of skills is also crucial. The report of the High Level Group on the Future of Social Protection and the welfare State in the EU. The report underlines that. Inclusive and equitable welfare plays an important role in minimising social risks and in mitigating economic difficulties. The. Commission's action plan, which is now being drafted to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights, can make an important contribution to achieving these goals. In our steering note, we set out two questions. These are the questions along with along which we would like to hear your views on future employment and social priorities. Let me read out the first question. Taking into account the trends set out in the steering note, including the analysis and proposals mentioned there. When it comes to the new action plan for the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights, what priorities would you set for the 20 2429 period? And the second question reads as follows. Based on your experiences with the pilot project, on the introduction of the social convergence framework, and also taking into account the Imco and the SPC note, do you agree that after the pilot phase, the analysis of upward so upward moving social convergence based on the features of the social convergence framework should be improved.”
EU competences on social policies
- “Thank you, mister president. Dear commissioner, we welcome from Hungary very much this proposal. We find it very, very important, to enact this legislation as soon as it's possible. We're reviewing the details, but, generally, with a country with many international railway connections, all different directions, and many, passengers using these international connections, we find it very important to provide these kind of ticketing options and guarantees which are provided in this proposal.
I just wanted to mention that, I know that, air passenger rights, are on the table in a different stage and and real passenger rights are 2 different topics, but sometimes they combine as there is a requirement to connect airports with railways in the Tenti network more and more.
We will see more and more passengers who combine, airlines with, with train services, maybe with platform search engine providing these kind of options for them. So to provide the unified, passenger rides in these situations would be very much important as well. Thank you.”
EU support of rail transport
- “Mr. chair, uh, they are. Commissioner. Dear colleagues. We thank the Commission for presenting this interim evaluation and also for the Polish Presidency, putting this to the agenda of today's Council. The evaluation clearly demonstrates the positive outcomes of the Horizon Europe programme, which underlines the rationale for a future standalone framework programme. We therefore call on the commission, in line with the Budapest and Warsaw Declarations, to truly place research and innovation at the heart of EU's priorities and to ensure the continuation of the standalone Successor Framework programme. We welcome the progress made by the Member States, especially the slight growth of their success rate and their participation in collaborative projects. However, we regret to note that the overall participation of the EU's 13 countries in the programme stands at 8%, which represents only 1% increase compared to the 7% Percent participation rate in the previous program. Moreover, the disparity of in the share of funding remains significant. Therefore, further efforts are needed to ensure more balanced participation, especially in IRC and IRC and EIC. In this context, we support the two stage application process and as very many delegations highlighted. Blind evaluation. As the interim assessment has shown that entities from widening countries perform better than evaluators are unaware of the participant's identity. We consider this a particularly thought provoking outcome. Successful widening instruments like twinning should be retained and reinforced in future programs. It's also worth highlighting that Hungary has managed to improve its performance and success rate, despite the exclusion of several of its universities from EU funding, an exclusion that contradicts the EU's efforts to strengthen European Research Area and to support all talents across Europe.”
- “Thank you, Commissioner, and please let me close this point on the agenda with the following statement. The Council has taken note of Sweden's information on the review of EU animal welfare legislation. The Council also took note of contributions from the delegations and the Commission. Moving on.”
EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers
- “Thank you. Commissioner. The presidency has informed the Ecofin Council on the progress achieved regarding the customs reform package, based on a progress report prepared by the presidency, as set out in document 1619224. Okay. We finish this item. Dear colleagues, we will now move to the next item on our agenda, which concerns the revision of the energy Taxation Directive.”
Priorities of taxation policy in the EU
- “Thank you very much, Madam Chair. Hungary definitely supports the proposal from Sweden aimed at limiting the number of children per donor. This is a decisive step towards upholding ethical norms of reproductive procedures. Of course, Hungarian legislation requires us to give priority to the use of domestic cells. Also, Hungarian law on health care specifies that a maximum of four descendants can be born to the same donor if in different procedures. But we are of the opinion that EU law should have a similar restriction, so as to prevent transfer of genetic disorders and to decrease to a minimum the possibility of marriages and births between half siblings. Thank you.”
Sexuality and reproduction
- “We believe that it would be important to introduce effective incentives and incorporate widening objectives across the entire programme. We would also like to stress that beside the European Innovation Council, the European Institute of Innovation and Technologies, the EIT and this knowledge and innovation communities, the so-called Kics, have also the potential to contribute to secure and innovative solutions in areas such as cyber security, digital infrastructure and energy. Their work can directly support the development of dual use technologies, especially if the new FP ten enables projects of a dual use nature, potentially with a focus on defence applications. For example, the EIT digital has been actively working on advanced cybersecurity solutions, which are critical for both civilian and defence applications, especially in the context of emerging cyber threats. The EIT Innoenergy is advancing innovations in energy storage, smart grids and renewable energy areas with significant defence and dual use implications. We are concerned that neither the eight nor the six are reflected in the FP ten proposal. This creates uncertainty and gives rise to legitimate concerns, which must be thoroughly addressed during the negotiation phase. Thank you very much.”
EU research funding
- “It is very disappointing that despite of the request of majority of the member states during the negotiations, the Commission has failed to provide adequate information regarding the reasons for this exclusion or the future of the EIT. Therefore, it is for us, the Council, to address this matter and to to clarify the legal uncertainty. And we call for the Cypriot presidency to address this matter regarding the innovation ecosystem and the implementation of the knowledge Triangle by reintegrating the EIT and its kicked to the proposal. Third, many, many ministers also referred to the issue of governance is a critical precondition for the way forward. Um, we require clear, defined strategic priority setting mechanism aligned with the governance structure that defines the roles and links between Horizon Europe and the Competitiveness Fund, as the current alignment presents certain challenges and requires a fundamental review. In our view, the Spanish proposal for the operational and pragmatic Programmatic separation of these instruments could offer a viable solution. Therefore, we would support that approach. And finally, as many others around the table said, nothing is agreed until everything is agreed. With this, we wish good luck for the achieved or set ambition for May. Thanks.”
EU-level coordination of research agendas
- “Mister chairman, commissioner, thanks very much for the great presentation on this very important topic. As a businessman in my previous life, I had the pleasure to to work in The United States and, also in Silicon Valley, and I couldn't agree more that, to create an environment where you can flourish with your small, medium enterprises, where you make business owners the focus of your attention as a market is very critical. Digital capabilities, capital availability, capital markets, consumption orientation, financial framework and investment culture. It's a journey we need to start very rapidly if you want to be competitive globally. So therefore, it's a great initiative, and it is worthwhile to really debate this and make sure that when we are implementing this, this is fully effective.
So the legal form could contribute to an attractive and business friendly environment while reducing legal and compliance costs and cross border operations, which is, I think, very, very critical for the European development and a European market where small, medium enterprises can flourish. Obviously, as it was said, the proposed tax law needs further discussions in details. The reliability of company information must not be compromised nor must the due diligence mechanism established to prevent money laundering. But we do have great experiences, around the world, and I would I would urge us to look around and get the best practice, from others who are ahead of us in this particular subject. So, therefore, we we happy to work further with the with the with the team, with the European team to make sure that this will be solid when it's introduced and will help Europe to be a significantly more competitive market than it is today.”
Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
- “This is essential to bridge the innovation gap both within and beyond, between the EU and globally. Widening shall remain a horizontal principle in the Framework Programme as it is right now. Turning to the policy debate, Let me refer to the fact that we believe the member States should be involved as early, as closely as possible in setting the union's research and innovation priorities, including priorities for European partnerships. Furthermore, the importance of the institutionalised partnerships must be preserved. We believe the clean transition must remain a key strategic priority for the European research and innovation. Furthermore, Europe should maintain its leadership in life sciences and European advantage must be maintained in biotechnology, bio manufacturing and bio based innovation across all sectors. We welcome the recently published EU Bioeconomy Strategy, and are particularly pleased with the inclusion of the action to launch a research and innovation initiative to develop and deploy sustainable bioeconomy solutions in regions with high biomass potential, including in Bio East countries, which was one of our priorities last year during the presidency. And we would also call for the institutional partnership in this regard. Thank you.”
Research priorities within the EU
- “Thank you. Um, the chair. Commissioner. Dear colleagues, as regards the first question, we are convinced that cooperation on research and innovation is a key for EU and Member states to increase competitiveness and reduce fragmentation. The need more focused calls for proposals to encourage cooperation between the academic and industrial sectors. In the case of European partnership, with a special [00:14:30] regard to planned co program. Public private partnership on an innovative materials for EU. We find it of crucial importance to ensure the balanced involvement of Central and Eastern European entities. Furthermore, in the field of applied research, efforts should be made to address the market demands more efficiently and enable to valorisation and marketization of research results. In my opinion, we also need to support university programmes [00:15:00] and infrastructure developments in advanced materials. Fostering partnerships between universities, research facilities, institutions and companies will accelerate the flow of innovation results into practice, fostering the competitiveness of companies. As regards the second question, I believe that four priority areas proposed to be launched in 2024 take duty account of socio economic, scientific and technological developments and potential common needs for [00:15:30] joint action. Hungary's innovation potential, particularly in the academic and entrepreneurial sectors, sees great opportunities in these areas. As regards the future priorities, we believe that new materials, of course, for health care and the agri food industry are also key for social and economic development. I would also like to highlight the role of advanced materials concerning renewable renewable biomass. As regards the third [00:16:00] question, I would like to mention that in Hungary, the Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science carries out its research activities in seven laboratories in the field of physical and material science as successive model or best practices. The Institute's assistance to SMEs and university education in the field of materials science can be mentioned, as well as the use of research infrastructure to support higher education training as an open access laboratory. Thank [00:16:30] you for your kind attention.”
Research priorities within the EU
- “We thank you very much. The Commission has now presented the regulation on a public interface linked to the Internal Market Information System, which would amend regulation 1024, 2012. I note that the Council has taken note of the information received from the Commission. Oh I'm sorry. France and after that, Belgium. Sorry.”
EU Single Market harmonisation
- “Now it's time to deliver. We continue to advocate for better law making, for which accurately prepared impact assessment and comprehensive stakeholder consultations are prerequisites. We should also strive to avoid unnecessary legal, bureaucratic, or other administrative burdens in this context. We are looking forward to the Commission's proposals on simplification to reach the ambitious goals set out in the Budapest Declaration. Regarding energy, our position is that the implementation of the Repower EU plan requires a dedicated financing instrument that can be used to develop natural gas infrastructure for diversification. Technological neutrality is also essential for the energy transition, contributing to affordability and energy security when it comes to climate goals, we would urge to look for a fresh start in the relationship of climate and industrial policies instead of setting unrealistic new climate goals for 2040 without high level political commitment and ownership. The Commission also reaffirmed in its Work Programme for 2025 that it will further develop its annual rule of law reports to include aspects related to the single market. Hungary is of the opinion that a very cautious approach is needed here. The Commission's new approach risks bypassing the applicable procedures set out by the treaties for non-compliance by Member States with the Single Market rules, notably the infringement proceedings. Thank you.”
EU Single Market harmonisation
- “Yes. Thank you. Paul. This is a very important issue. Thank you to the Commission as well for having addressed this issue, and a special thank you to the Belgian presidency for putting this issue on the agenda. Your two questions, too, are very important point of information from us. Hungary has made some progress when it comes to these issues, including the statute of limitations as well. In Hungary, serious sexual abuses which involve children do not have statutes of limitations. This has been the situation for some time in Hungary. The victims rights can be used without statutes of limitations. And now there's a new change in our legal framework. Any such, uh, any offence committed against children will have no statute of limitations. This is a very, very vulnerable social group. They cannot defend themselves and it does take a long time for them to process this, what has happened to them. And it's important for the proceedings to be able to start much later, after the act was committed. We should strive for harmonisation. It is not right that the statute of limitations should differ in various member states. The second important issue is MI generated images. Materials, the threats, the dangers that these carry. These materials carry are identical to real images, real materials. So we supported the same sanctions should apply to these as well. This has been the case in Hungary. In any case the same sanctions are linked to such virtual images as the ones used for actual images. Actual materials. Real materials. So we do support this parity between the two categories. We should criminalize a mi generated materials in the same way. So this is our answer to the two questions. And in conclusion again thank you very much for keeping this issue on the agenda. We too would like to address this issue during our presidency and address it with the same attention and focus. Thank you.”
- “Thank you very much, Madam President. Madam Commissioner. Dear colleagues. Indeed, the revision of the EU Global Health Strategy is quite timely, especially in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals digitalisation, the emergence of new communicable diseases. And as my Polish colleague has just pointed out, the consequences of the war in Ukraine. We agree that the global health strategy has to be in line with the EU's policy objectives, and that we also need linkages to global initiatives. When it comes to the sustainability of health systems, it will be important for the EU to support the digital transition. The Common European Digital Covid Pass has already demonstrated that the EU is capable of acting as a standardising force. It would be a very important result for the future European health data space to have a similar impact. As for chronic diseases, the fight against cancer remains a priority as in many cases, factors that increase the risk for cancer emerge as global challenges. Examples include tobacco products, alcohol or occupational health and safety. It is important for the EU to act at international fora in a way that gives adequate recognition to the universal right to health and to support programmes accordingly. Last but not least, we must not ignore cross-border health threats where the EU is striving for an active role through the pandemic agreement or the modernisation of the Ihr to act against cross-border health threats. We also need good procurement strategies for vaccines and pharmaceuticals. For this, it is a precondition to have cooperative partnerships with the industry. Unfortunately, this is an expectation that hasn't been fulfilled so far when it comes to Covid vaccines, which is why we joined the joint statement. Thank you.”
Processing of health data
- “Right. We. Mr. chairman, we fully support the Czech Non-paper on this AOB as ETS has a significant impact on industrial competitiveness. Thus, we should work on the necessary adjustment of the ETS framework to reflect industrial realities. Maintaining a level of free allocations is a prerequisite to ensure room for manoeuvre for our industry, including CBM sectors. We also share the concerns about the benchmark proposal, which leads to a significant decrease in free allocations. This could be particularly worrying because European industry is still bearing the consequences of the huge surge in energy prices, and the global competitive disadvantage could thus grow further at this very difficult juncture. So we need to work on a rapid solution for the situation, and we fully support the Czech paper on this one.”
Carbon leakage support
- “Thank you, Peter. First of all, I would like to wish you a successful presidency in the next half year. We will support for your work. And secondly, I would like to thank Portugal for its proposal. Hungary fully supports the document or regular actions taken so far have confirmed Hungary's commitment to the protection of animals during transport. In our view, the revised legislation should focus on the actual improvement of animal welfare, taking into account the latest scientific and socioeconomic aspects. As part of this, the most important task is to ensure the precise definition uniform, interpretation and implementation in the Spirit. I look forward to the Commission's proposal and to the technical dialogue. Thank you very much.”
EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers