Commission Report 2002 (Hungary)

Introduction

In its 1997 Opinion on Hungary's application for EU membership, the Commission concluded:

``The Hungarian institutions work smoothly, the various authorities being mindful of the limits of their powers and of the need for co-operation. Elections have taken place in free and fair conditions and have allowed a switch in political power in 1990 and 1994. The opposition plays the customary part in the operation of the institutions.

There are no major problems regarding observance of fundamental rights in the country. The rights of minorities are guaranteed and protected. Although some improvement is still needed, progress has been made in the form of measures recently taken by the government to ensure justice and protection for the Roma (gypsies). Efforts to combat corruption need to be made more effective.

Hungary presents the characteristics of a democracy with stable institutions which guarantee the rule of law, human rights and respect for, and the protection of, minorities''.

In its 2001 Regular Report, the Commission found that:

``In its 1997 Opinion, the Commission concluded that Hungary fulfilled the political criteria. Since that time, the country has made considerable progress in further consolidating and deepening the stability of its institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities. Over the past year, further efforts have been made in this direction. Hungary continues to fulfil the Copenhagen political criteria.

In the area of public administration reform, positive steps were taken with the introduction of a new legal framework increasing accountability and efficiency of the administration. In addition, better salaries and career possibilities have made the civil service more attractive. Efforts also continued in the area of training, which has become an important element of the career structure.

Within the judiciary, the overall efficiency of courts further improved after the introduction of additional measures in the area of institution building, notably the modernisation of IT systems, procedures, continued training and new staff. However, the continued overloading of the Supreme Court reduces its ability to provide guidance to lower courts and to unify the courts' practice. The scarce budgetary resources make it difficult to implement the remaining elements of the judicial reform.

The fight against corruption remained high on the political agenda and new legislation on asset declaration and more severe punishment was adopted to address the issue. Corruption however remains a problem, and the new measures would need to be implemented quickly to make the fight more effective.

As regards human rights and freedoms, progress can be reported with regard to asylum, where the situation considerably improved due to faster and better procedures and more appropriate reception facilities. However, there is a need to address police behaviour, notably with regard to reported cases of ill treatment. In the area of public service media, a solution needs to be found regarding the composition of the Supervisory Boards of Trustees.

New policy instruments and measures were adopted for the Roma minority. This process was accompanied by a significant increase of budgetary means for the further implementation of the medium-term action programme, already adopted by the Government in 1999. Support measures in 2001 mainly focused on the areas of education, employment, social policy, legal protection and culture. In this context, it will be important to enhance efforts to fight against widespread discrimination and to fully implement and enforce the legislation already in place. The Roma minority should also be given the possibility to participate more actively in public life.

Hungary had implemented the short- and medium-term priorities of the 1999 Accession Partnership priorities which related to the continued implementation of the medium-term action programme for the Roma and the increase of budgetary means for this purpose, as well as the further reform of public administration and of the judiciary''.

The section below provides an assessment of developments in Hungary, seen from the perspective of the Copenhagen political criteria, including the overall functioning of the country`s executive and its judicial system. Such developments are in many ways closely linked to developments regarding Hungary`s ability to implement the acquis, in particular in the domain of justice and home affairs. Specific information on the development of Hungary`s ability to implement the acquis in the field of justice and home affairs can be found in the relevant section (Chapter 24 - co-operation in the field of justice and home affairs) of part B.3.1. of this report.

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