Commission Report 2002 (Hungary)

• Progress since the last Regular Report
• Overall assessment
• Conclusion

Chapter 27: Common Foreign and Security Policy

Progress since the last Regular Report

As in the previous year, Hungary confirmed again its good track record in Common Foreign and Security Policy.

Hungary has shown a keen interest in continuing its active participation in political dialogue with the EU, including ESDP developments. It has actively participated in exchanges in this context with the EU and, for ESDP, in both EU+15 format meetings (i.e. with non-EU European NATO members and candidates for accession to the EU) and EU+6 format meetings (i.e. non-EU European NATO members). Hungary has participated in all the relevant meetings including at the level of Political Directors, European Correspondents and Working Groups.

As regards EU statements and declarations, Hungary continued to align itself regularly with EU declarations, common positions, joint actions and other CFSP instruments to which it was invited to associate itself, including negative measures. In particular, Hungary aligned with the EU Action Plan of September 2001 and the four Common Positions on combating terrorism. With the adoption of a new law on the fight against terrorism in December 2001 it has taken the appropriate measures to implement these positions (see also chapter 24 - Justice and Home Affairs). In November 2001 Hungary ratified the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court. Hungary confirmed its preparedness to contribute both to EU Rapid Intervention Force missions and to EU civilian instruments for crisis management. In this context, it offered 671 soldiers as well as equipment to the Rapid Reaction Force. Furthermore, it has committed itself to making 107 policemen available to the European Union`s crisis management contingent of 5 000 to be set up by 2003.

Hungary participated in the Capabilities Improvement Conference of November 2001 and the EU +15 +6 Defence Ministers` meeting in May 2002. It has shown an active interest in participating in the forthcoming EU Police Mission (EUPM) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On the regional level, in 2001 Hungary co-chaired the Working Table on security issues in the context of the Stability Pact for South-eastern Europe. As of June 2001, Hungary assumed the rotating presidency of the Visegrád Group, but dialogue was limited due to disputes on the Hungarian ``status law'' and the Czechoslovak Presidential Decrees of 1945. A meeting of the Prime Ministers, planned to take place in Budapest in March 2002, was cancelled, but the dialogue was re-established by the new Hungarian government in May 2002. At this occasion, the Hungarian Government expressed its willingness to further enhance the dialogue with the neighbouring countries. In this respect, the new ``Visegrád Scholarship programme'' will give a new impetus. The V4 started to improve co-operation with the Ukraine.

Hungary made considerable efforts to support international peacekeeping missions. It participated in a series of NATO, KFOR, SFOR and other peacekeeping and observer operations. So far, 460 Hungarian policemen have participated in peacekeeping missions; 40 of them are still serving under the flags of the United Nations and the OSCE in Bosnia and Herzegovina and on the Sinai Peninsula.

Bilateral relations remained equally constructive with most of its neighbours. However, some political tensions arose with Romania and Slovakia concerning the Law on Hungarians living in Neighbouring Countries (``status law''), which entered into force in January 2002. This law had been adopted in June 2001 without due consultation of Hungary`s neighbours. It was designed to foster the position of the Hungarian minorities abroad and granted them, on the basis of registration, in Hungary, certain rights and privileges in the areas of education and culture. Following the recommendations of the Council of Europe`s Commission for Democracy through Law (``Venice Commission'') on the roles and tasks of kin-states and home-states in minority protection, Hungary adopted in December 2001 and January 2002 legislation implementing the status law, which is broadly compatible with these recommendations. As agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding between Hungary and Romania, the law should have been revised in certain points in June 2002, but no progress can be reported in this respect. As regards Slovakia, an agreement on the application of the law is still pending. Hungary committed itself to repeal before accession any provision, which would not be compatible with EC law. (see Chapter 27 - Common Foreign and Security Policy).

Overall assessment

On the regional level Hungary continued to participate actively in regional co-operation schemes and forums. It takes part in the Southeast European co-operative Initiative (SECI), the Central Europe Initiative (CEI), the Stability Pact for South-eastern Europe, and the Visegrád dialogue. Hungary is also supportive of the democratic forces in Yugoslavia in the framework of the Szeged Process as well as by creating preferential export credit allowances. The Szeged Process has set itself a new objective of promoting European integration perspectives via the enhancement of regional co-operation.

Hungary has subscribed to the content and principles contained in the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports, and it continues to make more efforts to ensure the full implementation of the Code`s criteria. The Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has an administrative set-up, which is basically compatible with EU CFSP structures. It has a European Correspondent, but no Political Director yet. However, there is an equivalent post whose holder assumes the Political Director`s tasks in co-operation meetings with the EU. The ministry is connected to the Associated Correspondents` Network information system through which the EU communicates within the CFSP with the associated partners.

Conclusion

In its 1997 Opinion, the Commission concluded that the assessment of Hungarian foreign and security policy to date led to the expectation that as a member it could effectively fulfil its obligations in this field.

Since the Opinion, Hungary has made considerable progress in aligning its foreign policy with the Union`s Common Foreign and Security Policy. Alignment is to a large extent complete.

Negotiations on this chapter have been provisionally closed. Hungary has not requested any transitional arrangements in this area and is generally meeting the commitments it has made in the accession negotiations in this field.

In order to complete preparations for membership, Hungary's efforts now need to focus on ensuring that its foreign policy orientation remains in line with the Union's developing foreign and security policy, adopting the legislation on economic sanctions and finalising the development of the necessary administrative structures. In particular, Hungary should ensure that its national policies and practice conform to the EU's common positions, should defend these positions in international fora, and should ensure that all sanctions and restrictive measures can be duly implemented. As regards the ``status law'', the Commission will continue to monitor the situation and will request Hungary to bring the law - at the latest upon accession - in line with the anti-discrimination provisions enshrined in the EC Treaty.

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