The Hungarian parliament has amended a controversial law which grants
work, health and travel benefits to ethnic Hungarians living in
neighbouring countries.

The Socialist-led government removed several key aspects in the so-called
Status Law, including a reference to a "unified Hungarian nation" spanning
borders.

Romania and Slovakia, both home to large Hungarian minorities, say the law
discriminates against other ethnic groups and interferes with their
sovereignty as it allows Budapest to give aid to about three million
people on the basis of their being ethnic Hungarians.

Correspondents say Hungary made the changes to the law in an attempt to
make it conform with European Union guidelines, after the law had been
criticised by Brussels.

Hungary is set to join the EU next year – while several of its neighbours
will remain outside.

Objections

The amendments to the law were supported by 195 members of parliament,
while 173 deputies from opposition parties rejected the changes.

Hungarians abroad
Croatia – 25,000
Romania – 1.7m
Slovakia – 600,000
Slovenia – 10,000
Ukraine – 125,000
Ex-Yugoslavia – 340,000

"With Hungary close to joining the European Union, we cannot disregard the
EU's legal system," Hungarian Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs said before
the vote.

Despite the changes, officials in Romania and Slovakia have expressed
reservations about the law.

"We still have objections," Gheorghi Prisacaru, head of the Foreign Policy
Committee in Romania's Senate was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying.

"The European Council, which is due to vote on this issue on Wednesday,
should have the final say," Mr Prisacaru said.

Last week, the Slovakian Prime Minister, Mikulas Dzurinda, said the law
was being approved against Slovakia's will and without consultations with
Hungary's neighbours.

Under the Status Law – introduced in 2001 – ethnic Hungarians living in
Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia
are entitled to work in Hungary for a limited period, health treatment and
educational aid.

Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory under the 1920 Trianon Treaty
after World War I, and about three million ethnic Hungarians now live
outside their historic homeland.

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