Keresés: varhely

This year the Szekszárd wine region was at the centre of the exhibition. The main goal of the event was to present the rich gastronomic culture of Hungary. Organizers are aiming to hold HUNGAstRY on a regular basis with the concept of introducing Hungary’s wine regions in Brussels. Ambassadors, members of the European Parliament, high level officials from the Commission and attaches have attended the event. Olivér Várhelyi, Permanent Representative emphasized in his opening speech that “wine growing in Hungary dates back to the time when our statehood was established, we would like to share this more than 1000 year old tradition with our guests, here in Brussels.”

Attila Szinay, deputy state secretary from the Ministry of Agriculture stressed that the Hungarian Government is committed to preserve and promote Hungarian agricultural and gastronomic traditions, this is why a law on Hungarian national values and Hungarikums was adopted.

During the event guest could enjoy wines from the Bodri, Eszterbauer, Fritz and Takler wineries, typical Hungarian foods were provided by the Hungarian Market Cooperative. Wines were presented by Kristian Kielmayer, sommelier. Guests had the opportunity to enjoy a hint of Hungarian folk music thanks the cooperation of the Liszt Ferenc prize-awarded István Pál “Szalonna” and his band.

The 2 days Festival of Freedom was organised jointly by the Embassy of Hungary, the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the EU and the Permanent Representation of Hungary to the NATO. After the opening ceremony by the three ambassadors, the special event started with concerts and many other performances.  

Ambassador Zoltán NAGY (Embassy of Hungary), Ambassador Péter SZTÁRAY (Permanent Representative of Hungary to the NATO), Ambassador Olivér VÁRHELYI, (Permanent Representative of Hungary to the EU) at the official opening ceremony

The Headquarters (animation tent) offered many colourful activities for the audience on both days of the festival with a variety of programmes organised through the cooperation of different Hungarian cultural associations and entrepreneurs. Some of the activities: workshops, musical instrument display, games from the ‘50s, dance courses in the spirit of freedom, revolutionary adventure game with different locations, and roundtable discussion with Hungarians who immigrated to Belgium in 1956.

At the Hungarian market visitors could taste Hungarian artisanal cheese, charcuterie, honey and chocolate, while design products were also offered. Hungarian gastronomy was represented by the traditional kitchen of Katlan Toni and visitors could also taste the Hungarian “langos” and chimney cake.

Stand of Katlan Toni

One of the biggest attraction was an IS-3 battle tank which The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History of Belgium has offered for both days. This IS-3 type battle tank played a major role during the revolution of Hungary in 1956. During the Festival of Freedom Hungary has also expressed gratitude to Belgium and to the Belgian people for having helped in 1956.

The program was sponsored by the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight 60th Anniversary Memorial Board.

The next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) will take place in Brussels on 10 November 2017. The Hungarian delegation will be led by H.E. Dr. Olivér VÁRHELYI Ambassador Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative.

The Council will review the state of play of the negotiations in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the preparations for the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC11) to be held in Buenos Aires this December. Unfortunately still major differences can be observed among the WTO Members’ positions regarding most of the issues negotiated. In Hungary’s view, under these circumstances the EU should have realistic and moderate expectations for the outcome of the MC11 and formulate its positon accordingly.

Ministers will discuss the state of play of the EU free trade negotiations with Mercosur and the modernization of the existing Global Agreement with Mexico. In both cases the parties aim to reach political agreements on the main parameters by the end of 2017. Hungary sees solid progress and looks forward to finalizing the negotiations with Mexico. Concerning the negotiations with Mercosur, our fundamental interest is to ensure that the potential agreement reflects Hungarian agricultural sensitivities appropriately.

Commissioner Malmström will present to the Ministers the Commission’s report on Implementation of Free Trade Agreements.

During a working lunch Ministers will be debriefed on the state of play of the free trade negotiations with Japan and the possible conclusion of the negotiations by the end of this year. Based on the results achieved so far Hungary regards this objective desirable and attainable. Ministers will also discuss the possible improvements of the implementation of Trade and Sustainable Development chapters in EU trade agreements.

At the informal videoconference meeting of the Ministers for European Affairs on 20 April 2021, Hungary was represented by Minister Judit Varga. The Council was chaired by Ana Paula Zacarias, Portuguese Secretary of State for EU Affairs, and the Commission was represented by Vice-Presidents Maroš Šefčovič and Dubravka Šuica, and by Commissioners Olivér Várhelyi and Didier Reynders.

EU-UK Relations

During the the informal videoconference of the Ministers for European Affairs on the 20th of April, the ministers discussed the state of play of EU- UK relations. In order to preserve the results of the peace process in Northern Ireland as well as the integrity of the EU’s internal market the Member States supported the Commission’s efforts to find solutions, jointly with the UK, to the problems identified in the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Withdrawal Agreement. They voiced their support for the two parties to draw up of a workplan setting out deadlines for the implementation steps. Member States also discussed the ratification process of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement that has been provisionally applied since 1 January 2021, and expressed their hope that in the last week of April the European Parliament will put on its agenda the vote on their consent needed for the conclusion of the agreement. This is necessary for the agreement to enter into force on 1 May 2021.

Conference on the Future of Europe

During the meeting of the informal videoconference of the Ministers for European Affairs, ministers were informed by the Presidency about the state of play regarding the Conference on the Future of Europe, following the first two meetings of the Conference's Executive Board. The Conference on the Future of Europe is aimed at involving citizens in a wide-ranging debate on Europe’s future.

The Executive Board of the Conference on the Future of Europe launched the multilingual digital platform for the Conference on the Future of Europe on 19 April 2021, inviting all EU citizens to contribute to shaping their own future and that of Europe as a whole. (https://futureu.europa.eu/?locale=en)

The Presidency also informed the ministers that the opening event, scheduled for 9 May 2021, would take place in Strasbourg in a hybrid format, open to citizens in digital and interactive form. The opening event will also be televised and online.

By spring 2022, the Conference is expected to reach conclusions and provide guidance on the future of Europe.

Annual Rule of Law Dialogue country-specific discussion

During the informal videoconference of the Ministers of European Affairs, ministers held a country-specific debate on five Member States: Germany, Ireland, Greece, Spain and France in the framework of the annual rule of law dialogue.

COVID-19 EU coordination

The Commission and the Presidency briefed the ministers on the state of play on EU coordination regarding the Covid-19 epidemic, followed by an exchange of views on the most pressing issues concerning the epidemic, such as the current situation on vaccines, the ongoing work on digital green certificates, the overall epidemiological situation and travel restrictions.

Enlargement and Stabilisation and Association Process

The Presidency gave a state of play about the Enlargement and the Stabilisation and Association process and its priorities for the coming months, namely to finalise the negotiations on the IPA III (Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance) Regulation, to organize Intergovernmental conferences with Montenegro and Serbia under the revised enlargement methodology, and to organise the first Intergovernmental conferences  with North-Macedonia and Albania.

At the General Affairs Council meeting on the 22nd  of June 2021, Hungary was represented by Minister Judit Varga and Minister Péter Szijjártó. The Council was chaired by Ana Paula Zacarias, Portuguese Secretary of State for EU Affairs, and the Commission was represented by Vice-Presidents Maroš Šefčovič and Dubravka Šuica, Věra Jourová and Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi.

Enlargement and Stabilisation and Association Process

During the General Affairs Council on the 22nd of June 2021 the Ministers for European Affairs had an exchange of views on all files related to the Enlargement and Stabilisation and Association process. The Presidency provided information on progress achieved during the semester, namely the recent political agreement with the European Parliament on the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) and the agreement by the Council on the application of the revised enlargement methodology to the accession negotiations with Serbia and Montenegro, that paved the way for the holding of the first "political" Intergovernmental Conference with the two candidate countries. Ministers also discussed the accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania.  The Intergovernmental Conference with Montenegro and Serbia took place in the margins of the Council meeting.

European Council meeting on 24-25 June 2021

The General Affairs Council held an exchange of views about the preparation of the upcoming European Council meeting on the 24th and 25th of June based on the draft conclusions. The Ministers focused the discussion on Covid-19 pandemic, economic recovery, migration, Turkey, Libya, Russia, Belarus, Sahel and Ethiopia.

Conference on the Future of Europe

During the General Affairs Council on the 22nd of June 2021 the Ministers for European Affairs were informed by the Presidency about the state of play regarding the Conference on the Future of Europe. The formal inaugural event was held on the 9th of May in Strasbourg.

The “Lisbon European Citizens” event was organised on the 17th of June in Portugal. On the 19th of June, the inaugural Plenary meeting of the Conference on the Future of Europe was held in Strasbourg. The Conference on the Future of Europe is aimed at involving citizens in a wide-ranging debate on Europe’s future.

The Presidency reiterated that the Executive Board of the Conference launched the multilingual digital platform for the Conference on the 19th of April 2021, inviting all EU citizens to contribute to shaping their own future and that of Europe as a whole. (https://futureu.europa.eu/?locale=en) By spring 2022, the Conference is expected to reach conclusions and provide guidance on the future of Europe.

Rule of law in Poland

The Council held a hearing on the rule of law in Poland (Article 7 (1) TEU procedure), conducted pursuant to the standard rules approved by the Council in 2019.

Values of the Union in Hungary

The Council held a hearing on the rule of law in Hungary (Article 7 (1) TEU procedure), conducted pursuant to the standard rules approved by the Council in 2019.

EU-Switzerland relations

The Council was briefed by the Commission on EU-Switzerland relations, in particular on the termination of negotiations on the Institutional Framework Agreement, the Ministers then took stock of the EU-Switzerland relations.

Strategic autonomy

The Ministers held a brief exchange of views on possible directions for achieving strategic autonomy. The Commission will provide a detailed assessment of open strategic autonomy in its Annual Strategic Forecast Report in autumn 2021.

European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR)

In the framework of the General Affairs Council, European Affairs Ministers commemorated the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the European Union Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR).

At the General Affairs Council meeting on the 23rd of November 2021, Hungary was represented by Secretary of State Oszkár Ökrös. The Council was chaired by Gašper Dovžan, Slovenian Secretary of State for EU Affairs, and the Commission was represented by Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and Commissioners Olivér Várhelyi and Didier Reynders.

Preparation of the European Council on 16-17 December 2021

The General Affairs Council held an exchange of views about the preparation of the upcoming European Council meeting on the 16th and 17th of December based on the Annotated Draft Agenda. The Ministers focused the discussion on the Covid-19 pandemic, energy prices, crisis management and resilience, security and defence, and external relations.

Conclusions on enhancing preparedness, response capability and resilience to future crises

The General Affairs Council approved conclusions on enhancing preparedness, response capability and resilience to future crises. The conclusions highlight that the EU must be ready to face crises of different nature in the future, which will require cooperation and coordination between Member States.

Enlargement and Stabilisation and Association process

Ministers took stock of the state of play and held an exchange of views on the enlargement and stabilisation and association process with a view of possible steps to take the enlargement process forward.

EU-UK relations

On the basis of Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič’s update, the General Affairs Council discussed the state of play of the EU-UK relations. The debate primarily focused on the ongoing discussions with the United Kingdom on possible joint solutions to the difficulties identified by Northern Irish businesses and citizens related to the implementation of Withdrawal Agreement’s Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland. Member States supported the Commission’s approach to seek, as soon as possible, pragmatic solutions within the Protocol and confirmed their commitment to maintaining unity among Member States.

Annual rule of law dialogue: country-specific discussion

In the framework of the annual rule of law dialogue, the General Affairs Council held a country-specific discussion on the rule of law situation in the following five Member States: Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia and Cyprus.

Legislative Programming: Commission's work programme for 2022

The Commission presented its work programme for 2022 in a public session, which will contribute to the development of the joint declaration on legislative priorities for 2022 that will be agreed by the three institutions later this year.

At the General Affairs Council meeting on the 14th of December 2021, Hungary was represented by Minister Judit Varga and Minister Péter Szijjártó. The Council was chaired by Gašper Dovžan, Slovenian Secretary of State for EU Affairs, and the Commission was represented by Vice-Presidents Dubravka Šuica and Věra Jourová, and Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi.

Preparation of the European Council on 16 December 2021

The General Affairs Council held an exchange of views about the preparation of the upcoming European Council meeting on the 16th of December based on the Draft Conclusions. The Ministers focused the discussion on the Covid-19 pandemic, energy prices, crisis management and resilience, security and defence, migration and external relations.

Enlargement and the stabilisation and association process

The Ministers approved the Council conclusions on the enlargement and stabilisation and association process. They also took stock of the progress made in each of the candidates and potential candidate countries, set out guidelines on reform priorities, and reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to enlargement. In the margins of the General Affairs Council, Intergovernmental Conferences with Montenegro and Serbia took place on 13 and 14 December with opening a new negotiating cluster with Serbia.

Conference on the Future of Europe

The presidency informed ministers of the state of play as regards the Conference on the Future of Europe, pointing to the challenges posed by the current epidemiological situation. The focus is now fully on substance with the citizens delivering their first recommendations (https://futureu.europa.eu/assemblies/citizens-panels). The next plenary session of the Conference is expected to take place in January (https://futureu.europa.eu/pages/plenary). All EU citizens can contribute to shaping their own future and that of Europe as a whole on the digital platform (https://futureu.europa.eu/?locale=en).

Rule of law in Poland

The Council held state of play on the rule of law in Poland under the Article 7 (1) TEU procedure, during which the European Commission reported on the developments following the last hearing in June 2021 concerning the rule of law situation in Poland, on which the Polish side presented its position.

Rule of law in Hungary

The Council held a state of play on the rule of law in Hungary under the Article 7 (1) TEU procedure, during which the European Commission, reported on the developments following the last hearing in June 2021 concerning the rule of law situation in Hungary, to which Minister Judit Varga presented the Hungarian position.

Fight against antisemitism

At the initiative of Hungary, ministers exchanged views on the fight against antisemitism on the basis of the report by the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) - Antisemitism: overview of antisemitic incidents in the European Union 2010-2020 -, presented by Michael O’Flaherty, Director of FRA. All Member States who took the floor underlined the importance of the fight against antisemitism and the need to make further efforts.

Legislative priorities for 2022

The Council approved the text of the Joint Declaration of the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on the EU Legislative Priorities for 2022, which will be signed by the Presidents of the EU institutions at the margin of the meeting of the European Council on 16 December 2021. Hungary and Poland did not agree to the approval of the Joint Declaration in view of its findings on the rule of law and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. Hungary and Poland recalled that the value of the rule of law should not be used to exert political pressure in ways that do not comply with the basic requirements of rule of law themselves. The application of existing instruments should duly respect the principle of equal treatment. These principles shall apply also to the use of the NextGenerationEU, and the Recovery and Resilience Facility and as regards the approval of the recovery and resilience plans of each Member State as well. Due to the politically motivated delay in the approval of their RRPs, it is evident that these conditions are not met currently, so the two Member States were not in a position to agree to the approval of the Joint Declaration.

European Semester 2022

The incoming French Presidency and the Commission gave an overview of the 2022 European Semester cycle, in which the most meaningful modification will be the late publication of the country reports.

Eighteen-month programme of the Council

Ministers endorsed the Council's eighteen-month programme, which is based on defending citizens' freedoms, fundamental European values and the rule of law; ensuring an effective boost to green and sustainable growth; building a climate-neutral and green Europe; and promoting Europe's interests and values in the world. France will hold the rotating presidency of the Council from January to June 2022, Czequia from July to December 2022 and Sweden from January to June 2023.