Contributed by Szabo Kelemen & Partners Andersen Attorneys.

With preparations for the 2024 CEE Legal Matters Hungary General Counsel Summit in full swing, DLA Piper Partner and Head of Energy and Procurement in Budapest Gabor Simon shares his thoughts about the upcoming event and what he’s looking forward to the most.

With preparations for the 2024 CEE Legal Matters Hungary General Counsel Summit in full swing, Marton Eorsi, a Corporate Finance Partner at Addleshaw Goddard’s London office, shares his thoughts about the upcoming event and what he's looking forward to the most.

Manufacturers have less than a month left - until June 30, 2024 - before they must comply with the rules for products subject to the mandatory Deposit Refund System (DRS) when placing them on the market. Compliance with the new regulations will result in a price increase of HUF 50 per product, which consumers will have to bear - unless they return the relevant beverage cans and bottles.

In the Hungarian Gazette of 8 August 2024, four long-awaited decrees were published, which supplement and detail the provisions of the Hungarian ESG Act.

As in every year, the Hungarian tax administration has published its yearly summary with the most important trends and numbers regarding taxation in Hungary during 2023. In the last year it seemed that, while the tax authority was still increasing its efforts to entice the taxpayers’ voluntary compliance, fines have also soared to unprecedented heights. The statistics also show that it remains worthwhile to take the case to the courts if one finds the National Tax and Customs Administration’s decisions unlawful.

Default penalty amounts generally has been doubled in Hungary as of 1 August 2024. According to the Governmental Decree published in the Hungarian Gazette on 8 July 2024, overwriting the Act on the Rules of Taxation, the increase is due to the Ukrainian war and is theoretically effective by the end of the emergency period.

Hungary's growing economic performance and competitive tax system offer a good business environment for companies from Switzerland, while the presence of Hungarian companies in Switzerland is also growing.

On 8 August 2024, a new Government decree was published on the designation and operating conditions of the building authorities.

With preparations for the 2024 CEE Legal Matters Hungary General Counsel Summit in full swing, Peter Virag, the Head of Antitrust, Competition, and Trade at Oppenheim, shares his thoughts about the upcoming event and what he's looking forward to as both a moderator and participant.

With preparations for the 2024 CEE Legal Matters Hungary General Counsel Summit in full swing, Jaslovszky's' Tamas Feher talks about the upcoming event and the panel he'll be moderating.

In July 2024, the Hungarian Government introduced significant changes to the regulations governing online payments, aiming to enhance consumer protection and the security of electronic transactions.

The European Union lawmakers have completed the group of many sustainability and circularity-focused initiatives introduced during the last legislative cycle. The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) is a significant step towards promoting sustainable and responsible business practices and more transparent company operations. This Directive completes the Corporate Sustainable Reporting Directive (CSRD) from December 2022, which updates the process of how and what companies report in their non-financial statements, according to European sustainability standards.

In 2024, Hungary introduced new regulations concerning the employment of guest workers. The new law, which took effect at the start of the year, outlines specific criteria for obtaining a guest worker residence permit. Under the new regulations, a guest worker can receive a residence permit if the following conditions are met:

With preparations for the 2024 CEE Legal Matters Hungary General Counsel Summit in full swing, Pontes' Csaba Polgar talks about the upcoming event and what he's looking forward to the most.

A&O Shearman has advised EcoPro Global Hungary on USD 860 million financing for an EV battery cathode active material manufacturing factory in Debrecen, Hungary.

With preparations for the 2024 CEE Legal Matters Hungary General Counsel Summit in full swing, Schoenherr's Miklos Klenanc talks about the upcoming event and the panel he'll be moderating.

Former Lakatos, Koves and Partners Head of Tax Balazs Kantor has joined Kapolyi as a Partner and the firm’s new Head of Tax.