The Hungarian Competition Authority (HCA) recently published a draft report on its findings based on an accelerated sector inquiry into Hungary's online accommodation booking market. The sector inquiry was launched on 24 August 2023 after the HCA received numerous complaints during the peak summer holiday season about the practices of Booking.com, a key market player, for withholding payments to accommodation providers.

Some significant amendments to the Hungarian Competition Act have entered into force. The Hungarian Competition Authority (HCA) has been very active recently in various sectors. This summary briefly describes the most important changes. Some of the changes require an update to the compliance materials for Hungary.

Kinstellar and Schoenherr have announced that PowerChina's acquisition of a 51% stake in the Vetrozelena wind farm from CWP Europe has now closed.

Baker McKenzie has successfully represented the interests of Minova Ekochem before the Supreme Court of Poland regarding a competition case.

The Polish government has presented detailed conditions and modalities for providing support to investment projects of strategic importance for the transition to a net-zero-emission economy. The new State aid instrument implements the EU programme “Temporary Crisis Framework for State Aid measures to support the economy following the aggression against Ukraine by Russia”. The new financial support is to be regarded as a further incentive effect to attract new investments to Poland.

In July 2023 the European Court of Justice (ECJ) gave its judgment in case no. C-106-22 (Xella Judgment). The case was referred by the Fővárosi Törvényszék (Budapest High Court, Hungary) for preliminary ruling on the interpretation of Article 65(1)(b) TFEU in conjunction with recitals 4 and 6 of Regulation (EU) 2019/452 (EU FDI Regulation) and Article 4(2) TEU.