Brussels, 23/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - On 22 October 2008, the European Commission asked Hungary to terminate the indemnity for unknown claims that it provided to the buyer, Erste Bank, when Postabank was privatised. After an in-depth investigation launched in October 2004, the Commission concluded that the measure contravened state aid rules because a prudent private seller would not have granted such an unlimited indemnity to Postabank's purchaser. Although the indemnity for unknown claims was granted before Hungary joined the EU, the Commission has jurisdiction to examine it because the Hungarian state's exact financial exposure was not sufficiently defined at the state of accession (1 May 2004). However, the Commission does not require Erste Bank to reimburse the aid (no payments have yet been made under the indemnity scheme) and it recognises that the banks in question could not have known, before Hungary joined the EU, that they would have to list and calculate the inherent financial risks. (C.D./trans.fl)