ATHENS

European affairs ministers from member states convened Tuesday in Budapest, Hungary, to discuss demographic challenges and competitiveness.

“It is crucial at the beginning of this new institutional cycle to assess how the rule of law at the European level, including within European institutions, as well as improved regulation and lawmaking, can enhance the competitiveness of the EU,” said Hungary’s EU Affairs Minister Janos Boka before the meeting.

“In this context, we will explore how existing EU better regulation tools can be leveraged for these purposes,” he added.

Boka mentioned that the matter will be discussed in three working groups.

Regarding demographic challenges, he emphasized that it is one of the most “profound” issues the union needs to address.

“We will examine demographic challenges and trends, which are now considered the third major transition in the EU, alongside the green and digital transitions. The EU ministers will discuss these challenges and trends and seek to identify areas where EU action could be taken to address demographic issues,” Boka said.