The EU in Action Against Hungary for Not Following EU Court Ruling

The European Commission has started legal proceedings against Hungary for failing to comply with a ruling by the European Court of Justice on a law affecting foreign civil society organizations.

The country will be given two months to clarify. If the law is not amended, the day-to-day EU administration will consider going back to court and asking Hungary to be fined.

The court ruled last year that the relevant Hungarian law from 2017, which requires non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to provide information about their foreign donors, is discriminatory and goes against EU rules.

The NGOs are also required by law to identify themselves in their publications and on their websites as a “foreign-supported organization”. It was EU Commissioner Frans Timmermans who brought the case to court at the time.

The court also agreed that Hungary is violating the rules for the free movement of capital, the data protection of the donors and the right of association.

The committee has sent a letter to Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government in which it states that despite repeated calls from Brussels, Hungary still does not comply with the court’s ruling. She asks Budapest to address this urgently now.