Regional Development Minister, Tibor Navracsics has said the debate over the future of the European Union's cohesion policy will be a priority of the upcoming Hungarian presidency.
Speaking at the first Cohesion Summit held at the Ludovika University of Public Service, the public administration and regional development minister said Hungary sees cohesion policy as “one of the most successful policies of the EU”, and has a vested interest in maintaining it. The stronger cohesion is in a country, the more competitive it is and the fewer resources it will need for regions and groups lagging behind, he said. Under the Hungarian presidency, an informal discussion will be held on the future of the cohesion policy in September, and a formal Council meeting will take place at the end of the year. Hungary, and other countries in the region, have shown significant economic development since their EU integration 20 years ago, Navracsics said, adding that Hungary had overtaken Greece and “is head to head with Portugal” in its development ranking, he said. The government aims for Hungary to be among the “five most liveable countries” of the EU by 2030, he said. To achieve that, the development of rural areas and retaining people living there is a priority, he said.