Hungarian forest management regulations are among the strictest in Europe, however, there have always been investments and real estate developments that affected forest areas, the effect of which could so far be compensated by a fine in certain cases. As of 1 July 2023, the new provisions of the Forest Act brought pleasant changes, as even in the case of non-natural forests, the authority immediately obliges the developers affecting the forest area to reforest and not only to pay a forest protection contribution, if the size of the area reaches or exceeds one hectare.

The amendment to the Local Taxes Act, which entered into force on 1 January 2015, allowed local governments to levy a municipal tax on any taxable subject within their jurisdiction that is not prohibited by law and is not subject to a statutory public tax.

The Hungarian renewable energy sector has recently undergone a huge development, mainly focusing on photovoltaic power plants. In Hungary, rooftop photovoltaic projects are mainly widespread among households and companies to cover their own electrical needs. These projects are so-called household power plants, which are basically micro power plants connected to the low-voltage system.

On September 20, 2023, PHH announced that Kommunalkredit's EUR 37.5 million financing for the 63-megawatt Senyo photovoltaic plant in Hungary – commissioned by Green Source and Core Value Capital – (reported by CEE Legal Matters on August 7, 2023) had closed.

DLA Piper has advised the RV Ingatlan Befektetesi Alap fund on its acquisition of the Roseville office building in Budapest from Atenor.

Kinstellar has advised the Electrolux Group on the sale of its manufacturing facility in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, to Qvantum for EUR 38 million. CMS reportedly advised Qvantum.

The Hungarian Government plans to further develop the regulatory framework for geothermal energy, according to the REPowerEU chapter of Hungary’s Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Already last year, it was noticeable that after several years of decline, the Hungarian Tax Authority conducts more and more tax audits. In 2022, the number of tax audits increased by 6.2% compared to the previous year. Experience shows that this trend is expected to continue even more strongly this year. The most commonly audited tax category remains VAT.

Social media platforms significantly changed the ways how people express their opinions: sharing views became easier than ever. On the one hand, this is positive, but on the other hand, it is also dangerous in the employment context, as the employee's opinion may be prejudicial to the employer's interests. A recent decision of the Hungarian Supreme Court gives answer to the question whether the employer can dismiss the employee for expressing his opinion on Facebook.

The regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) is not a new issue. We understand that the use of such technologies can bring many benefits - such as better healthcare, safer and cleaner transport system, more efficient production, or cheaper and more sustainable energy - but we also are aware that they can pose significant risks if not properly regulated.

Schoenherr has advised Standard Motor Products Inc. on its asset-deal purchase of an industrial facility in Pecel, Hungary, from German production company Certus-WM Group International. Germany's Ladenburger Rechtsanwaelte advised the seller.

Lakatos Koves & Partners has advised ConvergenCE on the lease agreement with its new tenant, the Arago Group, which will be moving into the Academia office building in Budapest.

Merger control clearance is a key issue in planning and implementing larger M&A deals due to the standstill obligation established by Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (EUMR) and most national competition laws within the EU. If the EUMR is applicable to a transaction, a one-stop-shop system is granted where the Commission has exclusive jurisdiction for merger clearance and the merger clearance regimes of Member States are disregarded.

The Hague Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters (“Convention”) entered into force on 1st September 2023 in all EU countries (except Denmark). What impact will the Convention have in relation to the enforcement of third country judgments in Hungary and the enforcement of Hungarian judgments in third countries?

Oppenheim has advised Colliers on the lease agreement for its new Budapest headquarters in the Bem Center building located in the city's first district.

Dora Zombori has joined Dentons’ Budapest office as a Partner, to strengthen the firm's Energy and Government Affairs practice.

The Government Decree on the winter administrative break is out. Here’s what to expect.

The position and tasks of the employee are one of the key elements of the employment contract and are typically recorded in the job description. It is often a matter of dispute between the parties whether the employer can unilaterally modify the job description at all, and if so, to what extent. In a recent court decision, a Hungarian appellate court addressed the above question in a situation where the employer supplemented the employee's tasks with new tasks similar to his existing tasks. In this article, we analyse the recent decision on this matter.