European Union

Hungary's EU presidency ends with conclusion of Croatia's m'ship talks

29.06.2011 u 21:02

Bionic
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Hungary's six-month presidency over the European Union will end on Thursday, 30 June, with an accession conference at which Croatia is expected to provisionally close the remaining four policy chapters -- "Competition Policy", "Judiciary and Fundamental Rights", "Finance and Budgetary Provisions" and "Other Issues".

Poland is the next chair of the 27-strong bloc and during its EU presidency Croatia is expected to sign an accession treaty with the EU.

Hungary is the last member of the EU presiding troika which also included Spain and Bulgaria that chaired the EU in 2010.

Poland ushers in a new troika which will also consist of Denmark and Cyprus, that will preside over the Union in 2012.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that his government has achieved 98 percent of the agenda of the Hungarian EU presidency.

Apart from the completion of Croatia's EU entry talks, other items on that agenda were the strengthening of the coordination of the economic polices of the EU member-states, energy security, Roma integration, the adoption of a strategy for the Danube macro-region and the process of admission of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen zone.

The Hungarians treat the non-admission of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen zone as the only failure to some extent.