Safety net for Hungarian consumers – extensive cooperation among authorities for even more effective consumer protection

The Hungarian consumer protection system is comprehensive and provides a complete overview, making it something of a Hungarian specialty. A total of eight national authorities, as well as 19 county and capital city government offices, perform daily consumer protection tasks to protect the Hungarian people.

The cooperation agreement was signed by the Ministry of National Economy, which is responsible for consumer protection, the Ministry of Public Administration and Regional Development, which is responsible for the operation of government offices acting as consumer protection authorities, the National Trade and Consumer Protection Authority, which provides professional guidance to government offices, and the competent Hungarian National Bank, the Economic Competition Authority, and the National Food Chain Safety Authority.

The aim of formalising and strengthening the cooperation that already existed in everyday practice is to protect consumer rights more effectively and to provide businesses with a more predictable legal environment. In the course of their cooperation, the individual organizations will pay particular attention to the protection of children in accordance with Section XVI of the Fundamental Law, the protection of consumers in the online space, as well as sustainability, environmental protection and environmental awareness.

In pursuit of common goals, from 1 January 2026, an administrative interface will enable individual authorities to respond even more quickly, thereby facilitating coordinated immediate action where justified. In addition, the cooperation also extends to relations with international organizations and includes cooperation in the enforcement of public interest claims and joint communication, which supports the further strengthening of consumer awareness.

The partners in the cooperation will continue to take decisive action within their own areas of competence to protect Hungarian consumers, and their joint, coordinated action will ensure even more effective enforcement of consumer rights in Hungary.