Seven-point action plan for consumer protection announced at NATCP conference

The National Authority for Trade and Consumer Protection (NATCP) held its first National Consumer Protection Conference under the title "United for Consumers." The event contributed to strengthening dialogue between government, professional and market players, and was a good opportunity for the Authority, which has been operating since 1 January 2025, to present its activities, successes, achievements, and future goals. A seven-point consumer protection action plan was announced at the conference.

The event was opened by Márton Nagy, Minister for National Economy, followed by presentations by, among others, Bence Gerlaki, State Secretary, Dr. Krisztina Csákiné Gyuris, Deputy State Secretary, and Dr. Lilla Német-Weingartner, President of the NATCP. The event, attended by representatives of partner authorities, civil organizations, conciliation bodies, and business associations, was accompanied by interactive professional presentations that made the daily work of the NATCP tangible. Those interested were given a comprehensive overview of product testing, the process of electronic commerce and laboratory testing, food safety control measures, and the most common consumer complaints received by customer service.

Bence Gerlaki, State Secretary for Tax Affairs, Consumer Protection and Trade, announced a seven-point action plan at the conference. One of its key elements is the creation of a fraudulent online store search engine to prevent the increasingly common scams in e-commerce. The new NATCP website will analyze online stores' complaint handling, customer service, delivery times, enforcement of withdrawal, warranty, and guarantee rights, as well as payment options, giving shoppers a complete picture of whether it is worth choosing a given online retailer.

In addition, the consumer protection authority will continue to carry out priority inspections in the interests of child protection. In cooperation with partner authorities, they will conduct increased inspections of the dietary supplement market to reduce abuse and prevent dangerous products from entering the country. As part of the action plan, laboratory developments to improve product safety will be implemented and an online repair platform will be created to bring together companies providing repair and maintenance services. In addition, inspections of real estate advertisements will also be given new boost.

The conference also focused on the operation and results of the NATCP, which has been in place for just over nine months. "In 2025, the authority strengthened its presence in the areas of consumer protection, food trade, and market surveillance. We coordinated nearly 10,000 national consumer protection inspections and more than 10,000 food safety inspections, and government officials imposed approximately 2.2 billion forints in consumer protection fines, but the number of consumer inquiries received by the NATCP to date has also exceeded 6,000. We are particularly proud that Hungary continues to be at the forefront of the European Union's product safety system in terms of filtering out dangerous products. The NATCP's goal is to further strengthen consumer safety and the law-abiding operation of businesses," emphasized Dr. Lilla Német-Weingartner, President of the NATCP, in her presentation.

The results achieved confirm that the NATCP has quickly become a key player in protecting consumer interests and promoting law-abiding market behavior. At the same time, consumer protection cannot be successful without widespread cooperation: coordinated, joint action by the Ministry of National Economy, which is responsible for consumer protection, government agencies, partner authorities, civil society organizations, and conciliation bodies is essential.

The NATCP's goal remains unchanged: to protect Hungarian families, raise consumer awareness, and support law-abiding business practices.