To mark the Netherlands holding Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2016, the Embassy of the Netherlands held an event in Budapest on 13 January for EU ambassadors to Hungary.

At the event, Minister of State for EU Affairs Szabolcs Takács said that, in order to protect the EU’s external borders and preserve the Schengen system, halting the migration flow as soon as possible remains Hungary’s priority.

In connection with the work programme recently introduced by the Dutch presidency, Mr. Takács welcomed the fact that the document focuses on current challenges now faced by the EU: migration, security, economic growth, job creation, energy union and climate policy. The Minister of State added that the EU’s multi-annual financial framework and the cohesion and structural funds are all tools and achievements which must be retained for the sake of Europe’s competitiveness. He underlined that in December 2014 the legal framework for EU rule of law was established by consensus, but this should not be abused; as a result, Hungary does not support action by Brussels against Poland.

(Prime Minister's Office)