CEE Legal Matters
In-depth coverage of the news and newsmakers that shape Europe's emerging markets
On 8 December 2025, a draft amendment to the Government decreeon the development tax allowance was published for public consultation, proposing significant changes. The public consultation period closed on 16 December 2025 without any substantive comments, and the amendments entered into force in January 2026.
In this article we explore recent legislative changes and enforcement trends in the practice of the Hungarian Competition Authority (HCA), while highlighting what companies can expect in 2026.
In January 2026, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that Hungarian legislation that has introduced additional mining fee obligations violates the principle of freedom of establishment.
Czech Moska Murad, Slovak Credis Law, Hungarian Optima Legal, and Romanian Vlasin & Associates have founded Peers as a CEE law firm.
Tamas Szecsi has joined Ecovis Hungary as a Partner.
On 3 February 2026, the Hungarian government published Government Decree 12/2026 (II. 3.) on the January utility price freeze (the “Decree”) in the Hungarian Gazette.
In 2024 and 2025, the Hungarian Competition Authority (HCA) conducted three accelerated sector inquiries with the aim of identifying the reasons behind single-bid public procurements and formulating proposals to enhance competition in public procurement procedures. These inquiries were closely linked to the so-called conditionality procedure launched by the European Commission (EC) against Hungary in April 2022 pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2020/2092.
Taylor Wessing has advised Hungaropharma on the sale of Magilab to Fagron. BDO Legal advised Fagron.
Wolf Theiss has advised DCC on the acquisition of UGI International's Flaga-branded liquid gas businesses in Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, which together serve approximately 12,000 customers.
Taylor Wessing has advised CIG Pannonia Eletbiztosito and its subsidiary CIG Pannonia Elso Magyar Altalanos Biztosito on a series of insurance portfolio transfer transactions. Oppenheim advised Europ Assistance Irish Branch – one of the counterparties.
Kertesz & Partners has advised on 4iG SDT EGY's acquisition of Raba Automotive Holding.
Kinstellar has advised Wizz Air on the acquisition of Millennium Tower I, the office building that serves as the airline’s headquarters in Budapest, from CA Immo. Cerha Hempel advised CA Immo.
Over the past two months, Hungary has seen a dense sequence of regulatory developments, some headline-level and others technical, but all with immediate consequences, according to BSLAW Budapest Managing Partner Robert Szuchy, who says that energy regulation, EU litigation trends, and employment-related compliance are currently dominating advisory work.
Jalsovszky has promoted Peter Barta to Partner and Head of the firm's Tax Litigation and Economic Crimes team.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) screening is an essential issue for cross-border M&A, joint ventures, restructurings and financing arrangements. What was once a niche regulatory topic is now a decisive factor in transaction timing, risk allocation and, in some cases, deal feasibility itself.
In November 2025, the Hungarian Parliament adopted an act introducing further amendments to the legal framework governing international tax cooperation and transparency.
Schoenherr has advised UniCredit Bank Hungary on EUR 58.9 million in project finance facilities granted to Greenvolt Power, a subsidiary of Greenvolt Group, for the development of Project Buj. Dentons reportedly advised Greenvolt.
Wolf Theiss, working with Norton Rose Fulbright, has advised a consortium of banks on the arrangement and coordination of debt financing exceeding EUR 1.24 billion for the construction of two combined cycle gas turbine power plants in Tiszaujvaros and Visonta for Hungary’s state-owned energy provider MVM Group. A&O Shearman reportedly advised MVM Group.
DLA Piper is a global law firm with lawyers located in more than 40 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. This positions us to help clients with their legal needs around the world.
With more than 60 lawyers, including 14 partners, and a staff of over 140, DLA Piper Hungary is one of the largest international law firms operating in Hungary. What makes us stand out is that we offer not only legal services but also tax and business advisory support in a fully integrated manner. We maximize synergies between legal, tax, and business advisory services to offer a unique service for our clients, particularly in regulated industries such as energy, infrastructure, life sciences, banking, and telecommunications.
We are a true full-service firm, providing our private and public sector clients with advice on all aspects of their business. This includes transaction-related advice, people and employment, commercial dealings, litigation, information technology, media and communications, intellectual property, insurance, tax, real estate, and restructuring plans.
DLA Piper Hungary has received numerous professional awards and is consistently ranked among the top law firms in Hungary by international rankings. We are ranked #1 by Mergermarket among the law firms active in Hungary based on the volume of M&A deals handled between 2005 and 2024.
