Külügyi Szemle - A Magyar Külügyi Intézet folyóirata - 2014 (13. évfolyam)
2014 / 2. szám - BRIT-MAGYAR KAPCSOLATOK - Knott, Jonathan: Some Thoughts on British-Hungarian Relations, 2014
Jonathan Knott The UK Government is leading the debate on how and where decisions that affect European citizens are taken. The UK Balance of Competences Review, launched in July 2012, is ongoing and will be one of the most comprehensive audits of EU decision making ever conducted. It will help shape the debate on democracy, competence and subsidiarity. These issues have never before been more relevant and urgent. Following the European Parliamentary elections, where we saw a number of 'earthquakes', my Prime Minister said the results were: ... a very clear message which the European Union can't just shrug off and carry on as before. We need change. We need an approach that recognises that Europe should concentrate on what matters, on growth and jobs, and not try to do so much. And of course we need people running these organisations who really understand that and can build a Europe that is about openness, competitiveness and flexibility, and not about the past. The fact is, and this is true right across the EU, that Brussels is often seen as the problem rather than the solution. In virtually every Member State, trust in the EU Institutions is at an all-time low - last month, Pew research showed that 71 per cent of voters believe their voices do not count in the EU. That is a serious indictment of the status quo. We shouldn't be surprised though. As President Barroso said, where decisions are taken far from voters, a "legitimacy gap" develops. There is perhaps a role for national parliaments to work more closely together, and to explore new forms of cooperation. Much of the reform that the EU so urgently needs can be delivered right now: from giving national parliaments a greater voice to concluding trade deals and reducing over-regulation. The new Commission's report card should not list the number of regulations adopted or directives enforced as a means of judging performance, but whether what has been done has created more jobs and made the EU more responsive to citizens. Business to Business Links Bilateral trade between the UK and Hungary is one of the most overlooked, underexploited trade relationships in Europe. Our two big trading markets have not connected as they should have in the past and we've been missing out on HUF billions of business we could do together - in each others' markets and together in partnership in third markets. The British Embassy is working to address this. What we've done so far is to try and better inform British companies back home about business opportunities in Hungary, and inform Hungarian companies about opportunities to collaborate with British companies. 12 Külügyi Szemle
