As it is general information that the majority of migrants are staying in Europe illegally, Hungary requested the text part relating to the mandatory distribution quotas to be deleted from the declaration to be approved at the summit of EU heads of state and government, Szabolcs Takács, State Secretary for EU Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office stated on Tuesday in Luxembourg.

The State Secretary said this after the meeting of the Ministers of EU Member States concerned with European affairs.

Mr Takács said that Hungary is unable to agree with the approval of a text which states that illegal migration must be slowed down. Therefore, at the meeting he represented the Hungarian viewpoint that illegal migration should not be slowed down, but stopped, the State Secretary stressed.

He said: Hungary insists that the implementation of the provisions of the Schengen Agreement and the Dublin Regulations as a duty that is binding on every Member State must be reflected even more emphatically in the text awaiting approval by EU heads of state and government on Friday. He took the view that if the Member States observe these provisions, that will result in significant progress in curbing migration.

He also stressed that EU leaders should admit and acknowledge that some of the Member States have made significant efforts in the interest of protecting the external Schengen borders, thereby providing protection for the whole of Europe. The State Secretary drew attention to the fact that the cooperation agreements concluded with the partner countries of origin with a view to stopping the flow of migration must also be extended to the South-Asian countries. The text in the making must also make reference to agreements to be concluded with Pakistan and Bangladesh, he stated.

Mr Takács said that, in the context of the review of the EU budget for the period between 2014-2020, politicians agreed that Europe must conquer major internal and external challenges such as the migration crisis, unemployment, and the slowing down of economic growth. At the same time, they stressed that the funds that are used for managing these problems should not in any form be connected to the ongoing cohesion and common agricultural policies.

The State Secretary pointed out: the cohesion policy must be maintained also during the period beyond 2020 in the interest of preserving Europe’s competitiveness.

(MTI)