EU Deductions and Legal Challenges: Hungary's Asylum Policy Under Scrutiny
Hungary is facing a significant financial penalty from the European Union (EU), with the European Commission announcing a deduction of 200 million euros from future EU payments due to Hungary's failure to pay a fine imposed by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The fine was levied in June 2024 as a result of Hungary's non-compliance with EU asylum laws, particularly regarding the treatment of refugees in transit zones and its policy of sending them back to Serbia without proper legal protection.
The ECJ found that Hungary's government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, had violated EU asylum rules by obstructing refugees from applying for international protection. The court criticized Hungary for requiring asylum seekers to undergo preliminary procedures at Hungarian embassies before entering the country, which contravenes established EU regulations. Following the expiration of a 15-day deadline to pay the fine, the EU Commission confirmed that it would deduct the owed amount from Hungary's upcoming budget payments.
Orbán has publicly denounced the ruling, labeling it as “outrageous and unacceptable,” and has vowed to maintain his government's current asylum policies despite the ECJ's decision. Hungary's Deputy Interior Minister Bence Retvari echoed this sentiment, stating that the fine is “completely unfair.” The EU has expressed concerns that Hungary's actions represent a serious violation of the principle of solidarity among member states, which is crucial for managing asylum responsibilities across the EU.
- ## Google Antitrust Ruling: EU's 1.5 Billion Euro Fine Annulled In a separate legal development, the European Court of Justice has annulled a nearly 1.5 billion euro fine imposed by the European Commission on Google, primarily related to its AdSense advertising platform. The court ruled that the EU executive had failed to consider all relevant circumstances regarding the duration of contractual terms classified as unfair. Google's AdSense platform, operational since 2003, allows website publishers to display advertisements linked to user queries. However, the service agreements included clauses that restricted or prohibited the display of ads from competing services, prompting complaints from several companies, including Microsoft and Expedia. The EU Commission had previously determined that these clauses constituted a single and continuous infringement of antitrust regulations. The court's ruling indicates that the EU Antitrust Authority did not adequately demonstrate that the identified clauses constituted an abuse of Google's dominant market position. This decision highlights ongoing tensions between large tech companies and regulatory bodies in Europe as they navigate complex legal frameworks surrounding competition and market fairness.
