The Bureau of the European People’s Party held a meeting in Zagreb on the 3rd and 4th of March, 2011 related to the accession of Croatia to the European Union. Joseph Daul, President of the EPP Group and Viviane Reding, vice-president of the European Commission also attended the meeting and both acknowledged the fact that Croatia has fulfilled most of the adherence criteria.

The European Parliament was the host of a special event on the 1st of March, 2011, when the Hungarian Council for Autonomy from the Carpathian Basin held its meeting there havind been invited by the Hungarian Delegation to the European People’s Party. 19 Hungarian politicians, representatives of the Hungarian communities outside Hungary, attended the meeting.

During the course of the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, special attention is also given to the Hungarians living outside the borders of Hungary. The beginning of this year saw the appearance of Szekler symbols and traditions in the EP on several occasions, and Szekler dishes also found their way  into the EP’s kitchen.

DAHR’s MEP Csaba Sógor met with EP President Jerzy Buzek at the last plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

MEP Csaba Sógor attended a discussion organized by the European Training Foundation. The Agency, based in Turin, was established in order to contribute to the development of EU member states’ educational and training systems.

MEP Csaba Sógor spoke about the Hungarian Presidency during the one-minute speeches of the plenary session of the EP late Wednesday night.

The hearing of the ministers of the new Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union is being held between 25-27 January in the committees of the European Parliament. During these hearings the ministers present the program of the Hungarian Presidency and answer the MEPs’ questions.

This year’s first plenary session of the European Parliament in January saw the adoption, with amendments, by MEPs of the Council position on the Patients' rights in cross-border healthcare directive. The work on the document began in 2005 and with the coming into force of the Lisbon Treaty; it is the subject of joint decision by the EP and the Council.

MEP voted on several important issues during the plenary session of the European Parliament between 13 and 16th of December 2010, amongst which the European Citizen’s Initiative, the budget for 2011, the single application procedure for residence and work, human rights issues in the World and the EU, as well as the European Heritage Label.

Following a request of the European People’s Party’s Group, the European Parliament’s Commitee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) held a public hearing entitled Drug – addiction and trade in Brussels. The guest speakers of the hearing included specialists from the European Commission, the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA), representatives of different institutions, NGOs and advocacy associations, as well as university professors.