On 13 June 2024, the Recommendations from members of the TEPSA network to the incoming Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union were presented at the Hungarian Pre-Presidency Conference

BUDAPEST, 13/06/2024: On 1 July, Hungary will take over the Rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union from Belgium. On the occasion of the conference “Changes and Challenges in the European Union”, the Hungarian Pre-Presidency Conference co-hosted by TEPSA and the Institute of World Economics, HUN-REN CERS, a set of key policy recommendations are being presented to the key practitioners from within the Hungarian government and administrative authorities.

Hungary’s presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) between July and December 2024 will be a challenging one. The Member State that has been most openly confrontational towards many EU policies, positions and new cooperation proposals, will take over the presidential baton just as the Union moves into a new legislative cycle.

In addition to the introduction penned by TEPSA Executive Director Mariam Khotenashvili and Board Members Nicoletta Pirozzi (Istituto Affari Internazionali) and Richard Youngs (Carnegie Europe), the Hungarian Presidency has been presented with three detailed recommendations: 

• “Budgetary Conditionality: be careful what you wish for”, by Saskia Hollander, Senior Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute and Louise van Schaik, Head of Unit EU & Global Affairs, Clingendael Institute;
• “The Future of Cohesion Policy: what needs to be taken into account?”, by Jakša Puljiz, Head of Department for European Integration, Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO);
• “Europe Should Focus on Building Genuine Migration Partnerships”, by Luigi Scazzieri, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for European Reform (CER).

Balázs Molnár, Hungary’s State Secretary Responsible for the Presidency, while speaking on the subject of the Hungarian Presidency at the conference, noted: “One of the key aspects of the Council Presidency is to be an honest broker. Hungary is committed to fulfilling this role. Our overarching priority has been on the agenda since the Swedish Presidency: the global competitiveness of the European Union”.

You can read the Recommendations from members of the TEPSA network to the incoming Hungarian Presidency here.

Press inquiries to: hugh.evans@tepsa.eu