Minister of State for EU Affairs Szabolcs Takács from the Prime Minster’s Office held talks with European Commissioner for the Security Union Julian King on 21 September 2017 in Budapest.

The main topics of the meeting were the future of the Schengen Area, European security cooperation, terrorism, and cyber security challenges.

Mr. Takács explained that joining the European Union and NATO following the regime change had brought positive results for Hungary with relation to the country’s security.

“Hungary is committed to the unity of the European Union and to the acquis of European integration, one of the fundamental elements of which is the unhindered operation of the Schengen system and the free movement of people within the EU. It is the firmly represented standpoint of the Hungarian Government, which it has been putting forward consistently since the very beginning of the migration crisis, that the protection of the external Schengen borders is a prerequisite for the continued operation of the Schengen system”, he said.

The Minister of State stressed that the expansion of the Schengen system and the European Union had contributed to increasing European security. “The prerequisite for the unhindered operation of the internal market and the Schengen Area is the removal of internal border controls. Internal Schengen border controls may also cause economic damage, which can be felt by all EU citizens, and from a political perspective can increase divisions between EU member states. This can be in nobody’s interests”, he explained.

Julian King highlighted the fact that he is particularly appreciative of Hungary’s outstanding contribution and commitment to European security cooperation, and especially with relation to the Passenger Name Record (PNR) and the support provided to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (EBCG). The EU Commissioner and the Minster of State agreed that cyber-crime required closer cooperation between member states. Mr. Takács indicated that Hungary is open to participating in cooperation that assures more effective action at EU level, and stressed that similarly to the protection of external borders, Hungary supports all initiatives that contribute to guaranteeing the security of EU citizens.

(Prime Minister’s Office)