Budapest, 25 April, 2024 – The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) agrees to postpone certain planned amendments of the Hungarian Competition Act. The President of the GVH has initiated the establishment of a working group on competition law to conduct an extensive professional consultation in order to ensure that guarantees that are reassuring for all the stakeholders concerned are included in the planned provisions.
On 2 April 2024, the Government submitted a bill on the amendment of the laws on judicial matters, which planned to amend the Act LVII of 1996 on the Prohibition of Unfair and Restrictive Market Practices, Hungarian Competition Act, on several points. The proposed bill included the introduction of undertaking of paramount significance provision, based on the German model, which would provide a preventive approach to help the GVH intervene quickly and effectively in case of competition distortion.
In a broadcast on Kossuth Radio on 5 April, the President of the GVH pointed out that the national competition authority always develops its enforcement practice based on broad consultation with the relevant market actors, then publishes it in a notice.
Regarding to what has been told at today’s meeting of the Committee on Legislation of the Hungarian National Assembly, Csaba Balázs Rigó pointed out that “the Hungarian Competition Authority always seeks the broadest possible professional consensus on the legislation governing its activities and its practical application. Furthermore, an extensive professional consultation on some of the proposed amendments of the Competition Act is warranted in order to ensure that adequate guarantees that are reassuring for all the stakeholders concerned are included in the planned provisions.” He added: “Hungarian people and businesses have always been able to rely on the Competition Authority and this will continue to be so in the future. The GVH has never abused its power and the law.”
The President of the GVH has initiated the establishment of a working group on competition law with the involvement of the relevant legislators, ministries, market players, businesses, and their representatives in order to conduct an extensive professional consultation. The professional consultations could begin shortly.
GVH Public Service Communications Section
Further information:
Bálint Horváth, Head of Communication +36 20 238 6939
Katalin Gondolovics, Spokesperson +36 30 603 1170