2012-11-22

The main subjects of the European Parliament’s latest plenary session were the issue of the European Union’s budget, the ways to manage the current complex crisis and the topic of social Europe.

According to the Annual Growth Survey and the draft Joint Employment Report carried out by the European Commission, as a consequence of the austerity measures the member states did not comply to an adequate degree with the provisions on employment and education from the EU 2020 Strategy. As a response, the EP formulated its recommendations in an own-initiative Report on the Social Investment Pact as a Response to the Crisis, discussed on 19 November. The document establishes that member states must protect the sustainability of the public sphere’s budget, the harmonised plan for securing jobs for the unemployed, the growth of productivity, the reform of the pension systems and the harmonisation of family policies with investments of social character. The MEPs also called for the introduction of a powerful verification mechanism and for the putting into practice of the agreements on social investments.

Csaba Sógor’s contribution to the debate (http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sed/speeches.do?sessionDate=20121119):
„We know that in the following period the social dimension of the economic and financial crisis will be more and more felt. There are more and more of us, who believe that in the course of the crisis’ management, we paid too little attention to its social consequences compared to the efforts on the lowering of public debt and the fulfilment of budget deficit targets. In the past years economic questions eclipsed all other aspects, and citizens rightly feel that no answers were provided for the growing unemployment, the problems of the educational systems or to the phenomenon of poverty. The governments of the member states know exactly the consequences of not paying enough attention to certain social needs. It is time for the social questions to gain special attention at the level of European politics, too. This requires a common effort from the Council, the Commission and the Parliament. We cannot allow for European countries to sacrifice their social systems on the altar of crisis management.”
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On the issue of the Green Paper on promotion measures and information provision for agricultural products on March, 20 November Csaba Sógor expressed his opinion in writing. The Hungarian representative from Transylvania made reference to the promotional policies popularising local Szekler products and to the "Székely termék (Szekler product)" trade mark.

The remarks of the MEP:
„It is a great pleasure to salute my fellow representative’s report on the promotional measures for agricultural products, especially on the future directions of the promotional policy, which, according to the report, would lay a special emphasis on the popularisation of traditional, low carbon agricultural practices that maintain the quality of the soil and the water supply. I would like to call attention to the fact that such a promotional mechanism has already been introduced in one of the Romanian counties with Hungarian ethnic majority, Harghita. The „Szekler product” trademark and the promotional activity that accompanies it can be granted to characteristic agricultural products that were produced in Szeklerland from local raw materials in an environmentally friendly way and are healthy. I believe that the new promotional policy should consider the possibility to finance similar local initiatives because this could lead to the creation or strengthening of processes that are useful both for producers and consumers.”

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During the debate on enlargement from 21 November the MEPs discussed the EU’s enlargement criteria, their observance following accession as well as the strategic interests of the EU. They lay down that the condition of their support was that the enlargement policy remained credible and transparent. This is why they called on the European Commission and the Council of the European Union to develop in line with the spirit of the provisions of the EU treaties legal mechanisms through which disputes between two or more member states can be settled.   

Csaba Sógor also took the floor during the debate, calling attention to the importance of interethnic relations that represent the basis of relations between member states (the remarks of the MEP from DAHR can also be watched on the following link: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sed/speeches.do?sessionDate=20121121 ):
„The main area of the European Union’s enlargement policy are the Western Balkans, this is why the report is right to call attention to the importance of minority protection. Knowing the ethnic relationships and the recent past of the region, the significance of the question is so great that the current – practically non-existent – minority protection legislation of the EU is insufficient for the settlement of issues.

Interethnic relations bear influence not only on intra-state stability, but also on relationships between current and future member states. This is why, in my opinion, the enlargement process must make the EU aware that it needs a minority protection legislation in order to be able to settle disputes based on common rules, valid for all states. The Copenhagen criteria must be observed by current member states, too; at present the requirements are more stringent for accession states than for certain member states.”