Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Poland and Hungary win at EU court on taxes

  • Hungary's justice minister Judit Varga (l) and justice commissioner Dider Reynders (r) at a previous pre-Covid council meeting (Photo: Council of the European Union)

Hungary and Poland won separate tax disputes with the EU Commission after the bloc's top court ruled on Tuesday (16 March) in favour of the two member states - which are caught up in ongoing rule-of-law disputes with the EU.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) rejected the commission's appeal of a lower court ruling that upheld Hungary's 2014 advertising tax.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The tax initially imposed a rate of 50 percent of sales on the biggest networks. Critics saw this as an attack on RTL Klub, the country's most-watched commercial broadcaster, and as a way of undermining the free press in Hungary.

The commission later said the tax was in breach of EU rules, but Hungary challenged that assessment and won the case in the court in 2019, which has now been upheld.

Hungary eventually lowered the tax rate and said last year it would suspend it in 2022.

EU judges also said on Tuesday that Poland's lower tax rates for smaller retailers should not be seen as illegal state aid.

The commission had previously argued that the Polish retail tax unfairly provided companies with lower sales an advantage over bigger rivals.

The Polish tax policy was one of the main election pledges the Law and Justice (PiS) party when it came into power in 2015, as a way of funding popular social spending.

"Once again, it has been proven that Hungary has chosen a good solution regarding the taxation of capital-intensive, international companies," Hungarian justice minister Judit Varga said on Facebook, commenting on the decision.

Poland and Hungary are under EU scrutiny for backsliding on democratic values and breaching EU rules.

'Industrial scale' non-compliance

Meanwhile, MEPs in the European Parliament called on justice commissioner Dider Reynders to launch the new rule-of-law conditionality tool against Poland, whereby EU funds can be suspended in cases where the respect of rule of law has been breached.

MEPs are concerned that under a judicial overhaul in Poland, the government is putting judges and prosecutors under political influence.

Slovak liberal MEP Michal Simecka said in the debate that "non-compliance with EU law reached an industrial scale in Poland".

The commission had argued it first wanted to see the outcome of a court case challenging the tool, launched by Poland and Hungary.

On Tuesday, Reynders said that the commission is looking at possible cases even before the court ruling, but will not act before it can take into account the ECJ's decision.

Reynders argued that "the protection of the rule of law also [means] to apply correctly the treaty", if the commission is to expect member states to do the same.

Top court finds Hungary and Poland broke EU rules

EU tribunal said Hungary's legislation made it "virtually impossible" to make an asylum application. Restricting access to international protection procedure is a violation of EU rules.

Poland and Hungary battle to eradicate 'gender' in EU policies

The efforts by the two nationalist-conservative governments, which have both attacked LGBTIQ-rights and women' rights at home, is causing angst among several member states, who see it as a possible roll-back on gender rights.

Analysis

Hungary's power-grab to stay one step ahead of EU

Voicing their concerns, a dozen MEPs warned that EU funds would "disappear in opaque funding structures ... which have the purpose of further destroying academic freedom and institutional autonomy in Hungary".

Opinion

Potential legal avenues to prosecute Navalny's killers

The UN could launch an independent international investigation into Navalny's killing, akin to investigation I conducted on Jamal Khashoggi's assassination, or on Navalny's Novichok poisoning, in my role as special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, writes the secretary-general of Amnesty International.

Opinion

I'll be honest — Moldova's judicial system isn't fit for EU

To state a plain truth: at present, Moldova does not have a justice system worthy of a EU member state; it is riven with corruption and lax and inconsistent standards, despite previous attempts at reform, writes Moldova's former justice minister.

Latest News

  1. "Swiftly dial back" interest rates, ECB told
  2. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  3. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult
  4. EU unveils plan to create a European cross-border degree
  5. How migrants risk becoming drug addicts along Balkan route
  6. 2024: A Space Odyssey — why the galaxy needs regulating
  7. Syrian mayor in Germany speaks out against AfD
  8. Asian workers pay price for EU ship recycling

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us