General Affairs (GAC)

Upon the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon on 1 December 2009, the most influential Council configuration, called the General Affairs and External Relations Council, split up into two bodies. Since then, foreign and security policy issues have been within the competence of the Council of Foreign Affairs, headed by Catherine Ashton, the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. The General Affairs Council is composed of the ministers of foreign affairs and/or European affairs of the member states, and deals with dossiers which simultaneously concern various European policies.

The mission of the General Affairs Council is to prepare the EU summit meetings together with the European Commission and the permanent president of the European Council, and follow up the decisions thereof. The Council, which meets on a monthly basis, fulfils a general coordinating function, helps to maintain the flow and coordination of the activities of the other Council configurations in various political fields. The General Affairs Council is also the body in charge of institutional and administrative issues, handling the so-called horizontal dossiers which have an influence on several different European policies, such as the multiannual budget framework, the enlargement of the Union or the European Atomic Energy Community.

PRIORITIES OF THE HUNGARIAN PRESIDENCY

Hungary intends to reinforce the role of the General Affairs Council. Accordingly, the aim of the Hungarian Presidency is to lead meaningful debates on essential, strategic and horizontal issues concerning the development of the Council and the European Union (such as the cohesion policy), fostering the coordination of the interests of various sectors. This way, the General Affairs Council will be able to fulfil the role it has been assigned by the Treaty of Lisbon.

Treaty amendment

Hungary will endeavour to achieve the amendment of the Treaty as soon as possible, which is essential in order to reinforce the economic and political coordination and implement the European Stability Mechanism. The aim of the Hungarian Presidency will be to finalise the detailed rules concerning the implementation of the new mechanism by March 2011 in order that the European Council may take its decision on the form of the amendment of the Treaty at its session in March.

Enlargement

Special attention will be paid by the Hungarian Presidency to maintain the dynamism of the EU enlargement process. The process shall be continued on the basis of the reinforced enlargement consensus, approved by the European Council in December 2006, by observing the fair and strict conditions, the relevant conclusions of the Council and the existing order of procedure. The accession negotiations with Croatia have reached their final stage and it is the common interest of all the member states to encourage Croatia to fulfil the conditions of accession entirely. The Hungarian Presidency is prepared to close the negotiations if the stipulated conditions are fulfilled.

Besides that, Hungary also intends to advance the negotiations of accession with Turkey, depending on the level of preparedness of the latter, and promptly open the chapters which technically have already been finished. Following the decision of the European Council on 17 June 2010, the Hungarian Presidency is preparing for the negotiations of accession with Iceland. In case of a positive decision of the Council, the Hungarian Presidency will start accession negotiations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. It is a priority for Hungary to advance the integration process of the Western Balkan countries. Should new countries obtain the status of potential candidates for membership, the Hungarian Presidency will support them in the preparation process of the negotiations of accession.

EU Strategy for the Danube Region

A priority objective of the Hungarian Presidency is the approval of the Strategy for the Danube Region. The Danube Strategy, following the Baltic Sea strategy, will be the second macro-regional development strategy of the EU. The initiative will regroup 14 countries (eight member states and six non-EU countries). In relation with the action plan of the Commission published on 8 December 2010 listing 11 priority fields, the appointment of the countries coordinating the activity within each field is the most important issue to be decided. The projects to be designed in each field will contribute to a better utilisation of the resources allocated within the framework of the current multiannual financial perspective. They will indirectly contribute to preparing the countries concerned for the use of the potential financial framework after 2013. Within the framework of the General Affairs Council, Hungary will work on the preparation and approval of the relevant conclusions of the Council, to be submitted for final approval by the heads of state and government of the Union at the European Council summit to be held in June 2011.

Community policies

The Commission is expected to publish its proposal on the multiannual budget framework starting from 2014 in June 2011. The first part of a package of about 80 regulations related to the proposal will be presented simultaneously. Nevertheless, preparations with respect to Community policies and budget categories (agricultural policy, cohesion, energy, R&D, etc.) will have already been started. One of the important objectives of the Hungarian Presidency is to manage the strategic preparations in a coordinated and harmonious way. The General Affairs Council will be in charge of the synthesis of the work in progress in the various Council configurations, and of reporting the progress.

The Hungarian Presidency wishes to put special emphasis on the cohesion policy, a Community policy giving integrated answers to economic, social and regional inequalities of the EU. The cohesion policy is of a general and horizontal character and is also tightly connected to the multiannual budget framework. Hungary will launch an orientation debate about the future of the cohesion policy within the General Affairs Council.

Energy

The General Affairs Council will be in charge of the preparation for the European Council summit on energy and innovation issues, held on 4 February 2011. The purpose of the meeting is to outline a firm political guidance concerning to pan-European, energy issues having a strategic dimension.

European Citizens’ Initiative

The European Citizens’ Initiative is the Treaty of Lisbon’s most important innovation. It is the first time that European citizens are given the possibility to directly influence the making of the Community policies. The institution of the European Citizen’s Initiative contributes to bringing the EU closer to the citizens and starting real discussions about EU subjects. The Hungarian Presidency welcomes the agreement made under the Belgian Presidency and will make efforts for its prompt entry into force.

Roma integration

The General Affairs Council will have to play an important role to coordinate the political preparations of the debate on Roma integration issues. It is a horizontal challenge to resume Roma policy debates run by the various Council configurations and to create a unified political image of the subject. Hungary makes efforts in order that under its Presidency heads of state and government discuss and reinforce the frameworks of the EU actions designed to advance the social and political integration of the Roma, thus giving an impulse towards solving this urgent pan-European issue.

Charter of Fundamental Rights

Granting binding force to the Charter of Fundamental Rights is a milestone in the guarantee of the European citizens’ rights. It is essential that both the EU institutions and the member states apply the Charter consistently. According to the Hungarian Presidency, the annual report on the application of the Charter, prepared one year after the entry into force of the treaty of Lisbon, represents an appropriate occasion to draw the conclusions and examine the enforcement of the rights included in the Charter.