Annex 3
UK-HUNGARY ACTION PLAN
1. The United Kingdom is strongly committed
to supporting the further consolidation of Hungary's thriving
democracy and successful free market economy, and in particular
to assisting Hungary's early accession to the European Union.
The United Kingdom also wishes to help ensure that the benefits
of Hungary's remarkable progress are sustainable and spread through
all levels of society. In this spirit the British and Hungarian
Governments have endorsed the following plan of action, which
was launched by Foreign Secretary Robin Cook with Hungarian Foreign
Minister Janos Martonyi in Budapest on 25 July 2000.
TRADE, INVESTMENT
AND THE
SINGLE MARKET
2. Commercial relations between our two
countries will be vigorously developed, on the basis of the principles
of transparency and an open market. Through co-operation between
British Trade International, the Hungarian Investment and Trade
Development Agency (ITD Hungary) and the two countries' Embassies,
two-way trade, investment and tourism will be actively encouraged.
The United Kingdom's "Opportunity Hungary" campaign,
in which the British Government is co-operating closely with ITD
Hungary, is raising awareness of the opportunities for commercial
partnership between British and Hungarian companies inter alia
through a programme of events including:
— Trade missions of British companies
visiting Hungary for the first time, arranged by regional Chambers
of Commerce and other trade support organisations;
— Groups of British companies exhibiting
at trade fairs in Hungary during 2000, including Industria 2000,
Info 2000, Foodapest, Budatranspack and Autotechnika.
— Inward missions of Hungarian companies
to the UK—organised and sponsored by ITDH with the support
of the British Embassy and British Trade International;
— A series of British Business Days
in regional Hungarian cities, organised with the British Chamber
of Commerce in Hungary and local Chambers.
3. Market surveillance/consumer protection:
The United Kingdom is supporting Hungary in meeting the requirements
of accession in this area through the provision of a Pre-Accession
Adviser under the EU's institutional Twinning programme.
4. A Conference on the Opportunities and
Challenges of the Single Market will be held in Hungary in early
2001, with the participation of British and Hungarian practitioners
and experts from both business and the public sector. The conference
will draw on the UK's experience with a view to assisting Hungary,
and in particular small and medium-sized enterprises based in
Hungary, to meet the challenges, particularly that of increased
competition, as well as to take advantage of the opportunities
which will flow from the Single Market. The United Kingdom will
also explore how it might further support the Hungarian Government's
SME Strategy.
5. The United Kingdom is providing assistance,
with Sweden, through a Phare Twinning Project, to help Hungary's
Public Health Laboratories meet EU standards.
JUSTICE AND
HOME AFFAIRS
6. The British and Hungarian Governments
will work to implement the Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation
to combat illicit drug trafficking, organised crime, international
terrorism, illegal immigration and other serious crime signed
by Home Secretary Jack Straw and Interior Minister Dr Sandor Pinter
on 9 February 2000, and to develop further their co-operation
in these areas.
7. To that end the British Government has
appointed an Immigration Liaison Officer and will appoint a Drugs
and Crime Liaison Officer to Budapest later this year.
8. The British Government is supporting
Hungary in combating organised crime under an EU Twinning project,
including through a full-time Pre-Accession Adviser.
9. The British Council and the British Embassy
will organise a Conference on Justice and Home Affairs in Hungary
in late 2000. This will bring together British, Hungarian and
other experts and practitioners, to exchange experiences on the
issues of organised crime, immigration and border controls, with
a view to improving co-operation and assisting Hungary in meeting
the challenges of EU membership in these important areas.
10. The British Government is supporting
the launch of a "Crimestoppers" programme in Hungary,
to collect and process information from members of the public
so as to prevent and detect serious crime, in particular drugs-related
crime.
11. Co-operation will be pursued between
the Hungarian National Police and Merseyside Police. The British
Government will continue to support joint projects, focusing primarily
on the gathering, processing and sharing of intelligence.
12. The British Government will further
support co-operation between the legal professions of the two
countries, following up the recent visit of the Rt Hon the Lord
Irvine of Lairg, the Lord Chancellor, to Budapest. Specifically,
the UK will support a series of workshops in Hungary. This will
include one in early 2001 with the participation of Lord Slynn
of Hadley which will study the impact of Community law on Hungary's
national legal system.
13. Britain will assist the Ministry of
Youth and Sport in implementing the National Drugs Strategy for
Hungary, by providing UK experts for consultancy and to take part
in relevant conferences and seminars. In order to advance this
process the British Drugs "Czar", Mr Keith Hellawell,
will visit Hungary in the second half of 2000.
FINANCIAL/TAXATION
14. The British Government is providing
technical advice and support to Hungary in meeting the requirements
of EU accession in the fields of national audit and (with Austria)
taxation, under the auspices of two EU Twinning projects.
15. Financial Regulation: The United Kingdom
will explore the scope for helping Hungary to address the problems
of regulating the advanced and sophisticated financial sector,
through the provision of assistance to the Ministry of Finance
and the State Supervisory Body for Financial Institutions.
EMPLOYMENT AND
EDUCATION
16. The British and Hungarian Governments
will work to implement the agreements signed in February 2000
and June 2000 on co-operation in the fields of employment and
education respectively, which cover a range of activities relevant
to Hungary's preparations for EU membership.
17. Through the Know How Fund, the British
Government will provide continuing support to the Ujra Dolgozom
project designed to promote employment, with particular focus
on combating long-term unemployment in those areas and strata
of society most affected. We shall assist the National Employment
Fund in rolling out the project nationally.
18. The United Kingdom, in co-operation
with the Ministry of Education, will support the development of
projects aimed at tackling the difficulties faced by the Roma
minority in education.
AGRICULTURE AND
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
19. The British Government will:
— provide further support through the
Know How Fund for a major project on regional development, designed
to assist central and local government in accessing and making
best use of EU regional development funds;
— provide and co-fund an adviser to
the Prime Minister's Office on EU funding issues;
— pursue further Know How Fund projects
to develop mechanisms for consultation between government and
the non-governmental sector;
— advise on the development of a citizens'
advice network in Hungary, building on and intensifying its work
on "citizens' charter" initiatives to help Hungary develop
citizen friendly and accountable services at central and local
level.
20. The British Government is providing
support, including a full-time Pre-Accession Adviser, to the Ministry
for Agriculture and Regional Development on preparations to access
EU SAPARD funding, under an EU Twinning project.
21. The British Embassy will organise a
Conference on the Future of European Agriculture in Hungary in
autumn 2000, at which British experts and practitioners will exchange
experiences with their Hungarian counterparts on the operation
and future development of the Common Agricultural Policy in the
next few years, the implications for Hungary's accession and how
best to meet these challenges.
Environment
22. The British Government will seek to
assist the relevant Hungarian authorities to build up the capacity
and expertise necessary to access EU environment-related funds
(ISPA) and to implement EU pollution directives.
23. The UK will also explore ways of helping
to improve local environmental standards particularly in areas
such as the Tisza region affected by transboundary pollution.
MEDIA
24. The UK is continuing its support for
Hungary's successful and thriving media. In this context a party
of senior media policy-makers visited the UK in May 2000. In particular
the UK:
— supported the publication in April
2000 of the "Visegrad Papers", drawing conclusions from
the conferences on the media held in Visegrad in 1998 and December
1999 and establishing principles and guidelines for those working
in the media;
— will support a further media conference
in late 2000/early 2001, to develop this work further;
— will consider further support through
the Know How Fund for BBC-run courses at the Centre for Independent
Journalism in Budapest.
FOREIGN POLICY
25. The United Kingdom will:
— intensify its dialogue with the Hungarian
Foreign Ministry and other appropriate government organs on a
wide range of foreign policy problems of common interest, in the
spirit of the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy;
— exchange experiences on the operation
of CFSP, through visits and the appointment of short-term secondees
to each others' ministries;
— provide assistance and advice on
accession-related matters;
— provide training on diplomacy and
negotiating techniques, particularly for EU accession, through
the Chevening Scholarships scheme and other courses.
— work with Hungary to sustain and
strengthen support for enlargement in both countries.
OTHER EXCHANGES
26. Through the Chevening Scholarships scheme,
the British Government will continue to provide support to enable
bright young Hungarian professionals and future leaders to pursue
their studies in Britain, particularly in areas relevant to Hungary's
EU accession.
27. The British Council will continue to
foster personal contacts and build networks between young Hungarian
professionals and their British and other European counterparts,
by ensuring strong Hungarian participation in the Council's European
networking programmes on European political, social, economic,
educational and cultural issues.
28. The British Council will organise periodic
seminars and conferences in Hungary, with the British Embassy,
to strengthen these networks and foster debate on specific areas
of common interest (starting with the JHA Conference in late 2000—item
8 above).
FUTURE ACTION
29. This Action Plan provides a basis for
ongoing co-operation between the United Kingdom and Hungary for
the years to come. It will be reviewed and updated regularly with
that in mind.
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