European affairs committee chair: rights of Hungarian community in Transcarpathia must be guaranteed

Judit Varga also presented Hungary's position on the priorities for the Spanish EU Presidency.

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Hungary will not be in a position to support Ukraine's European integration if Kyiv does not guarantee the rights of minorities living there, Judit Varga said on Monday at the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs (COSAC) held in Madrid under Spain's EU presidency. As the chairperson of the Hungarian parliament's European affairs committee, Judit Varga attended and addressed the meeting that brings together EU affairs committee chairs from the national parliaments of the EU member states.

We clearly support Ukraine's integration process, but Kyiv was given a very strict set of conditions when it was granted candidate status. In my speech in Madrid I underlined that the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine must be restored to at least the level they were in 2015, but recent developments show that Hungarians living in Transcarpathia are being completely stripped of their rights,

Judit Varga told Hungarian state news agency MTI by phone from Madrid. She added that the European Commission will publish a report in October, serving as a basis for member states to decide on further steps. She noted that according to a recent opinion published by the Venice Commission, the status of the Hungarian community in Ukraine could be resolved by a simple legislative amendment.

I put an emphasis on the issue of EU enlargement, pointing out at the conference that Hungary has been a committed supporter of the EU integration of the Western Balkans. I stressed that it is important to offer a real perspective and that we can only accept an enlargement procedure based on merit. Serbia in particular and other countries in the region have been engaged in accession talks with the EU for nearly ten years. We need to cooperate at a level of integration that respects national sovereignty and the principle of subsidiarity, and integration should be deeper where it has real added value,

Judit Varga explained, noting that the main focus in the east was on Ukraine and Moldova, yet Georgia should also be offered a perspective on accessions. 

Judit Varga also presented Hungary's position on the priorities Spain adopted for its EU presidency. 

It is a balanced EU presidency program that addresses the challenges that Europe currently faces. These include competitiveness, strengthening the social pillar and tackling migration. In his speech, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares highlighted the issue of demography, an key priority also for Hungary,

the Hungarian politician said, pointing out that the demographic challenge will be a priority during Hungary's EU presidency in the second half of 2014, and the Hungarian government will focus on competitiveness in its approach of the issue. "During our EU presidency", the we will aim to make Hungary's family policy measures more popular, Judit Varga said. The COSAC meeting was also attended by representatives of candidate countries, including the Western Balkans. Serbia was represented by Elvira Kovacs, chair of the EU affairs parliamentary committee.

 Cover photo: Judit Varga, chair of the Hungarian National Assembly's European Affairs Committee (Photo: MTI/Szilard Koszticsak)