The situation of small region associations 

At its session today the Government reviewed the chapters on local government in the public administration reform, the Minister for Local Government and Regional Development announced at the press conference following the government session. Creating multi-purpose small region associations, Mónika Lamperth explained, is one of the best ways for improving the operating efficiency of local governments and bringing up to speed disadvantaged small regions. 165 of the 166 possible small regions in Hungary have already been formed, as small settlements have realised the improved possibility for efficiently meeting their public service obligations imposed by law in the form of associations (primarily in public education and operating a system of social services). In her report, the Minister mentioned among other things that primary schools are operated by 1993 local governments in 659 associations for the lower school years and by 2038 local governments in 663 associations for the upper school years. Ms Lamperth emphasised the expedience of reviewing the tasks of small region associations as regards the conditions characterising the sector, of improving the coordination of funding and enhancing planning and the maintenance of the institutions concerned. The Minister also added that new regional boundaries for small regions may be requested until 31 March 2007 to align them with the actual catchment areas. Mónika Lamperth stated that the Budget includes HUF 19.3 billion in normative support for the multi-purpose small region associations that pursue at least three public service goals, which include education and social services.  

 

Hungarian success over genetically modified maize 

At the press conference the Minister for Environmental Protection and Water called it a success of concerted pressure by Hungary that EU environmental ministers voted by qualified majority at their Tuesday session in confirmation of the Hungarian position concerning the moratorium of genetically modified maize, in effect in this country, and voted against a motion by the European Commission for lifting such moratorium on production and sale. Hungary can thus sustain unchanged its production and sale moratorium, announced in January 2005, on maize no MON810 developed to offer genetic protection against the European corn borer. Minister Miklós Persányi reminded of the decision by Parliament on GMO crops based on a five-party consensus. Accordingly, all the parliamentary parties are of the position that, lacking sufficient evidence concerning the related environmental and health risks, this new agricultural technology should be banned. The Minister noted that the Czech Republic and Portugal, although they do not ban GMO maize in their own countries, voted with Hungary on the principle of solidarity, as they lay great emphasis on respecting the sovereignty of each Member State.  

 

National strategy against childhood poverty 

At the press conference following the government session, Emese Danks announced that the Government adopted today a national strategy entitled ?A better future for children!", which it will present to Parliament as a draft resolution. The Spokeswoman spoke of the fact that some 20% of children in Hungary, that is almost half a million children, live below the poverty threshold. Far from combating the transmission of poverty from generation to generation, the existing educational system helps preserve it, and it is only in the rare exceptional case that a child from a poor family, through studiousness and giftedness, can free himself from this trap. Ms Danks reminded of the Government?s resolve to change this state of things, which then led to a background survey involving non-profit and professional organisations starting in the end of 2005. The national strategy adopted today is a major milestone in that effort, setting the ambitious goal of reducing the poverty of children and their families considerably within a single generation. The Spokeswoman emphasised that what the Government adopted today is a strategy and therefore concrete measures have not been defined as yet. The strategy formulates the key principles and issues and calls on the Government to develop three-year action programmes. The Government wants to involve in the preparations for its action programme a large number of experts in the field along with the non-profit organisations concerned. Emese Danks added that the Government will first need to develop its action programme for the years 2007 and 2010, in which it needs to set the legislative, professional and organisational conditions for implementing the National Strategy, as well as the responsibilities, deadlines and sources of funding required for implementing it.