The European Commission has decided on Thursday 24 January to refer Hungary to the EU Court of Justice on the grounds that national rules on the retail sale of agricultural and food products are incompatible with EU law.
The Commission is concerned that Hungarian retail legislation may violate EU rules and prevent consumers and businesses from taking full advantage of the opportunities offered by the Single Market. It considers that the Hungarian provisions are not in conformity with the principles of the free movement of goods or with the Union Regulation on the common organisation of the market in agricultural products (Regulation 1308/2013).
Under Hungarian law, retailers are required to apply the same profit margin to agricultural and food products, regardless of their country of origin. However, this rule "discourages the sale of imported products in relation to domestic products", the Commission states. In addition, Hungarian legislation, which requires the same profit margin to be applied to all products, prevents some importers and retailers of imported goods from offering consumers more attractive retail prices, the Commission criticises. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)