Article | May 21, 2012 - 10:47am
The Hungarian Parliament approved the cabinet's proposal to introduce a tax on telephone services, which will be at HUF 2 per minute to be levied on outgoing telephone calls and messages. The tax will be capped at HUF 700 (€2,4) per month for individuals while companies will pay a maximum of HUF 2,500 (€8,6) per month.
The first ten minutes of phone calls will be exempt from the tax for private individuals. Emergency calls and phone numbers raising funds for charity will also be exempt.
Article | May 20, 2012 - 9:48pm
Despite the difficult market conditions Hungary’s Generali-Providencia insurer boosted its after-tax profit by 42% year on year to HUF 4.9 billion (€16.76 million) in 2011, the company announced.
Despite the difficult market conditions Hungary’s Generali-Providencia insurer boosted its after-tax profit by 42% year on year to HUF 4.9 billion (€16.76 million) in 2011, the company announced.
The Generali Group booked a similar improvement.
Generali Group in Hungary boosted its after-tax profit to HUF 4.8 billion from HUF 3.6 billion.
Article | May 18, 2012 - 1:34pm
A cooperation agreement has been signed by Hungarian Secretary of Social, Family and Youth Affairs of the Ministry of Human Resources Miklós Soltész and OTP Bank in Budapest on 15th May in order to ensure that the bank would develop a value-keeping and personalised offer for the management of the savings of children in care.
Article | May 17, 2012 - 11:57am
Talks between Hungarian Minister of Justice and Public Administration Tibor Navracsics and Finnish politicians in Helsinki on 15 May focused on reform of the justice system and public administration.
Navracsics met with Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen and discussed current events unfolding in the European Union, especially the Greek situation and its effects on the economic political climate.
Article | May 17, 2012 - 10:29am
Besides the slow increase in illicit drug use, the consumption of designer drugs dramatically increased in Hungary between 2009 and 2011. These psychoactive substances largely unpredictable effects are spreading rapidly, especially among the youth.
Due to their rapidly changing composition, prohibiting and penalising them presented serious problems. The government, though, has implemented new instruments against the distribution of drugs, which early signs show that they are successful.
Article | May 17, 2012 - 3:14pm
The fulfilled promise of Hollande for a gender-balanced cabinet with 17 women out of 34 ministers inspired AFP to analyse the ratio between men and women also in the governments of other European states.
The fulfilled promise of Hollande for a gender-balanced cabinet with 17 women out of 34 ministers inspired AFP to analyse the ratio between men and women also in the governments of other European states.
Article | May 15, 2012 - 1:58pm
The World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF), an international NGO conceived in 1961, published today its ‘Living planet’ 2012 report. The study is released every two years and examines the planet condition.
Article | May 15, 2012 - 3:46pm
Hungary is ready to change its economic policies in light of talks with the IMF and EU, and lawmakers will have to attend sessions until the mid-July because the situation in Europe could require a response by the Hungarian parliament. This is the message that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán relayed in a press conference after a meeting of the ruling alliance’s parliamentary group on 14 May.
Article | May 14, 2012 - 3:17pm
The European Commission has issued guidelines warning that under EU law road charging schemes must not discriminate against foreign drivers.
Article | May 14, 2012 - 12:15pm
The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) imposed fines of HUF 1.25 billion (€
4.2 million) on three railway companies.
State-owned MÁV has to pay HUF 100m (€300,000), Hungarian-Austrian Győr-Sopron-Ebenfurt Railway company (GYSEV) HUF 300m (€1m), whereas Austrian-owned Rail Cargo Hungary HUF 850m (€ 2.9m).
Article | May 14, 2012 - 1:11pm
In a question posed by two Euro-sceptic Jobbik MPs in the National Assembly, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán replied in a pro-European tone. His reply was that if Hungary was not a member of the EU, large foreign companies would not provide jobs for hundreds of thousands of families.
Article | May 13, 2012 - 11:05pm
Hungary is to introduce an electronic toll system by July 1, 2013 at the latest, a government resolution published previous Friday showed, Budapest Business Journal reported on 7 May.
Hungary is to introduce an electronic toll system by July 1, 2013 at the latest, a government resolution published previous Friday showed, Budapest Business Journal reported on 7 May.
The resolution contains details of the planned toll system which was part of the Szell Kalman Plan 2.0, an updated version of Hungary's structural reform program unveiled at the end of April.
Article | May 11, 2012 - 5:35pm
The Russian-backed South Stream gas pipeline has never been a European priority, a European Commission spokeswoman told New Europe on 10 May. “Why? Because it diversifies routes but not supply as it is supposed to bring Russian gas to the EU,” she explained.
The Russian-backed South Stream gas pipeline has never been a European priority, a European Commission spokeswoman told New Europe on 10 May. “Why? Because it diversifies routes but not supply as it is supposed to bring Russian gas to the EU,” she explained.
Article | May 11, 2012 - 11:34am
After being elected the fifth president of the republic since Hungary's transition to democracy on 2 May in a secret ballot by 262 votes ex-MEP János Áder officially entered office on 10 May.
While Hungary's presidency is largely ceremonial, the head of state has the power to send bills back to Parliament for reconsideration or refer them to the Constitutional Court. Thus, he will have the power to shape a nation that has been through the wringer the past year and a half.
Article | May 8, 2012 - 11:00am
The National Assembly may decide on the key figures of the budget and the tax
laws for 2013 much earlier than usual, before the summer break. This was proposed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the Fidesz-KDNP Parliamentary group meeting on 2 May.
Article | May 8, 2012 - 3:43pm
The European Commission announced today the results of the latest report on product safety. The three most active countries in detecting and notifying new dangerous products, and in ensuring appropriate follow-up actions, were Spain, Bulgaria and Hungary.
The European Commission announced today the results of the latest report on product safety.
The 2011 annual report concludes that due to the increasing effectiveness of the Community Rapid Information System for non-food products (RAPEX), dangerous products in the EU market were detected earlier, more effectively and withdrawn much faster.
Article | May 8, 2012 - 3:25pm
On 8 May, at the European Commission, a preliminary programme stakeholder conference on financial support for energy efficiency was held. It was a joint effort by the Commission and the Danish Presidency to bring together target groups, especially member states, in order to tackle some pressing issues regarding the Directive on Energy Efficiency.
The stakeholder conference was attended by Danish Minister of Energy Martin Lidegaard, Director-General for Energy Philip Lowe, and the European Parliament reporter Claude Turmes.
Article | May 7, 2012 - 11:19am
On 4 May, the CERN@WIGNER project, a data centre with the largest data transmission capacity in Europe was unveiled. Minister for National Development Lászlóné Németh said: “[Today] we announce one of the most outstanding projects of the 21st century.”
Article | May 7, 2012 - 1:46pm
Several economic agreements were signed during Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s
visit to Kazakhstan on 3-4 May. This was during the Hungary-Kazakhstan business forum where Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed his satisfaction with the cooperation with Kazakhstan which will help his country come out of the crisis.
Article | May 6, 2012 - 10:47pm
A committee whose members are delegated by Hungary's National Economy Ministry and Rural Development Ministry have proposed exemptions from a ban on the construction of big shopping centres in fifteen cases so far, National Economy Minister Gyorgy Matolcsy said, Budapest Business Journal reported.
A committee whose members are delegated by Hungary's National Economy Ministry and Rural Development Ministry have proposed exemptions from a ban on the construction of big shopping centres in fifteen cases so far, National Economy Minister Gyorgy Matolcsy said, Budapest Business Journal reported.
Exemption from the ban can be issued by the national economy minister based on recommendation of the committee, set up by the ministers responsible for rural development, environment protection and trade.
Article | May 6, 2012 - 10:45pm
The Hungarian Minister of Economics Gyorgy Matolcsy and senior vice president of ZTE Corporation Zhu Jinyun signed a co-operation agreement about the establishment of ZTE's new European regional network operation centre (NOC) and a call centre in Budapest, Hungary, Budapest Business Journal reported on 3 May.
Article | May 4, 2012 - 9:03am
Austrian officials will work with Hungary on the issue of illegal “pocket contracts” on the sale of farmland, Regional Development Ministry state secretary Gyula Budai revealed.
This debate has been around since Hungary's accession to the EU. The arguments against selling it to foreigners have been based mainly on national feeling, on the emotional relationship to the country and to the land of Hungary.
Article | May 2, 2012 - 5:45pm
Compared to the US and Japan, it seems that Europe lags behind in offering job security and perspective for its population and young people in particular.
The statistical office of the European Union, Eurostat, released today the figures on the unemployment rates within Europe. The unemployment rate for March 2012 was 10.9% within the Euro zone and 10.2% within the EU27 in general.
According to the published data, in March 2012 there were 24.772 million unemployed men and women in the whole Union, of whom 17.365 million were in the euro area.
Article | May 2, 2012 - 9:47am
On 30 April, RWE said it still supports the Nabucco gas pipeline, but the project must meet the German energy giant’s economic requirements in terms of profitability and volumes for the Czech gas transmission system.
Article | April 26, 2012 - 10:48am
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao ends on 26 April his European tour with a two-day visit to Poland, where he will participate at a China-Central Europe regional trade and investment summit of heads of government.
