NEWSROOM

Implications and expected effect of the EU Directive on the repair of goods

In June 2024, the European Union adopted the Right to Repair Directive (R2RD), a key instrument designed to promote sustainable consumption by encouraging the repair and reuse of goods, both during and beyond the legal warranty period. This directive directly supports the EU’s green transition agenda, particularly under the European Green Deal. Although the R2RD already entered into force on 30 July 2024, Member States are required to transpose its provisions into national laws and begin enforcement by 31 July 2026.

Instead of reviewing the GDPR, Commission proposes to amend its enforcement rules

The European Commission had previously indicated that it will review the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) this year to see if any changes are needed in light of the experience of the past six years. However, the Commission later stated that the review would not happen until 2028, although the GDPR obliges the Commission to submit its report on the review to the Parliament and to the Council every four years. The Commission claims that 10 years are needed to gain sufficient experience and it will also be necessary to see how the EU's artificial intelligence (AI) legislation develops and what problems it will raise. These can be reviewed at a later stage so that all stakeholders can be involved.

The gig revolution: EU and ILO gear up to transform platform work

The platform economy, also known as the gig work economy, has experienced exponential growth in recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This model, where individuals or organizations use online platforms to offer services, from delivery to childcare, has become a vital part of modern labour markets. By 2025, the number of platform workers in the European Union is expected to reach 45 million. However, with this rapid expansion comes growing concern about workers' rights, as most platform workers are classified as self-employed, leaving them outside the protection of traditional labour laws.

Governmental efforts to raise the minimum wage to the level of the guaranteed minimum wage

The minimum wage (statutory minimum wage) is the amount that an employer must pay to an employee for his/her work, in any case of a full-time job. Guaranteed minimum wage is also considered as a type of minimum wage for jobs requiring at least secondary education or secondary vocational qualifications, hence it is always a higher amount. The Hungarian Government sets out the amount of minimum wage and guaranteed minimum wage every year. In 2024 the minimum monthly wage is HUF 266,800 (~ EUR 675), while the guaranteed minimum wage is HUF 326,000 (~ EUR 825).

New decrees supplementing the Hungarian ESG Act entered into force

In the Hungarian Gazette of 15 August 2024, two new SZTFH (Authority for Regulated Activities) decrees were published, which supplement and further detail the provisions of the Hungarian ESG Act. The first decree on the register of ESG reports, software and qualifiers entered into force on 18 August, while the provisions on the registration of ESG reports and qualifiers enter into force on 16 September.

Unlocking the Future: The Benefits of a Fully Electronic Land Registry in Hungary

Starting from 1 January 2025, Hungary moves to a fully electronic land registry system following many delays and the potential benefits are transformative.

New step towards sustainability, new requirements for products

The European Parliament and the Council adopted the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) on 13 June 2024. The act - entered into force on 18 July 2024 - is an important new piece of the package of measures set out by the EU in order to achieve the goals of the European Green Deal (2019), in particular those of the Circular Economy Action Plan (2020). ESPR replaced the Ecodesign Directive of 2009 that had been applied only to energy-related products.

EU has updated its list of countries that do not cooperate on tax

The European Union's Council of Ministers has reviewed and updated the list of non-cooperative countries and territories for tax purposes, adding Antigua and Barbuda, Belize and the Seychelles, and removing the British Virgin Islands, Costa Rica and the Marshall Islands from the list, which now includes sixteen jurisdictions. The European Union's Council of Finance Ministers (Ecofin) found that the countries and territories on the list were not cooperating on tax matters and asked them to work with the EU Code of Conduct Group to resolve problematic issues.

Tax penalty amounts doubled in Hungary

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.

New decrees on ESG consultants and educational institutions entered into force

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. The decrees contain provisions in particular on the accreditation procedure and registration of ESG consultants, accreditation requirements and education of ESG consultants and criteria for institutions providing education for ESG consultants. Three of the four decrees entered into force on 9 August and one entered into force on 12 August.