Act XX of 1931 on Agreements Controlling Economic Competition established the Cartel Committee in Budapest which was created in order to provide expert opinions on questions raised by the application of the Act. The Act provided for the operation of the Cartel Court as a special court organised within the Royal Curia, which had to proceed in the case of any infringements of the provisions of the Act.

Act LXXXVI of 1990 on the Prohibition of Unfair Market Practices set up the Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) in order to be the watchdog of free and fair competition. The GVH began its operation on 1 January 1991 – the same date that the Act entered into force. Consequently, 2015 is the year of its 25th jubilee anniversary. As a part of the commemoration of this momentous anniversary, the GVH issued a tender for the carrying out of historical legal research on the roots and backgrounds of competition law, and the work of the competition authority in Hungary. The consortium of the Pázmány Péter Catholic University and the University of Szeged won the tender and will therefore undertake the above-mentioned research for up to 6 months.

The study under the research shall include the following:

  • the circumstances of the elaboration of Act XX of 1931 on the Agreements Controlling Economic Competition, and the presentation of foreign models on which the regulation was based;

  • presentation of the setting up, operation and any reporting obligation of the Cartel Committee concerning its operation;

  • presentation of the entire available biography (professional activities) of presidents, vice-presidents and members of the Cartel Committee, exploration of the photographs and records of them;

  • presentation of the setting up and operation of the Cartel Court, as well as the collection and analysis of its jurisprudence;

  • presentation of the entire available biography (professional activities) of presidents and members of the Cartel Court, exploration of the photographs and records of them;

  • exploration and collection of the available jurisprudential and any professional publications on the above described subject;

  • collection of the contemporary press reviews and press releases on the above described subject, presentation of the media coverage;

  • exploration of at least 10 contemporary pictures, photos, illustrations.

By exploring and presenting the historical background of the competition authority’s activities the aim of the GVH is to enhance the honour, role and raison d'être of the Authority, and by collecting the memories of the contemporary rules on competition and jurisprudence to express its respect towards competition law. In addition to the research study, as the part of the anniversary events the GVH is also planning to present an exhibition from the available research materials.