EU commissioners to boycott Hungary conference in protest against Orban’s Ukraine foreign policy – Euractiv - Broadcast United

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The European Commission has asked its commissioners not to attend informal ministerial meetings during the Hungarian presidency of the EU A European Commission spokesman confirmed the news on Monday (July 15) in protest against EU Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s solo diplomatic efforts on Ukraine.

“In light of recent developments under the Hungarian presidency, the President has decided that the @EU_Commission will only be represented by senior civil servants at informal meetings of the Council,” said Eric Mamer, a European Commission spokesman.

Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1.

Formal meetings, usually held in Brussels and Luxembourg, will not be affected because their organization does not depend on the rotating presidency.

However, Mamer said the traditional visit of the European Commission Academy to the country would be cancelled.

Last week, EU member states Condemning Hungary and its Prime Minister Hungary claims to have carried out “peace missions” to Ukraine, Russia, China and Florida, but Budapest has not clearly explained whether these missions were carried out in its capacity as a country or as the EU presidency.

The European Council’s legal department told EU envoys last week that Budapest’s actions could violate EU treaties.

This step also follows Decide Sweden, Finland, Poland and the three Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) refused to participate in informal meetings during the Hungarian chairmanship.

However, so far, EU countries have not put forward any practical solutions. How to control the action in Budapest In addition to public displays of anger.

The only response so far has been for EU member states to downgrade the level of their ministerial representation at some informal ministerial meetings held over the past week.

At an industrial policy conference in Budapest, only seven EU ministers were present, and none of the commissioners responsible for the document were present.

While the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers, chaired by the bloc’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell, was the only one not hosted by Hungary, there was also consideration of downgrading that meeting, according to multiple EU diplomats.

They said the meeting was scheduled for August 28-29 and that Borrell might adopt a workaround to turn the informal meeting in Hungary into a formal meeting in Brussels to avoid ministers travelling to Budapest.

While the plan has been discussed informally among several EU member states, including France and Germany, EU diplomats said such a drastic step might be premature.

EU officials warned that the move would be “radical” and would require the full support of EU member states in any case.

EU ambassadors are expected to discuss the move on Wednesday (July 17).

Hungarian Minister of European Affairs János Bóka responded to the statement explain As the rotating presidency of the European Union, Hungary remains “committed to sincere cooperation with EU institutions and member states.”

European Commission “You can’t pick and choose the institutions (and member states) you want to work with,” Boca said.

“All Committee “Is the decision now based on political considerations?” he asked.

(Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic)