On February 18, 2026, at a professional conference in Debrecen, Rigó Csaba Balázs, the president of the Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH), highlighted the agency's commitment to combating cartels. In 2025, the GVH was involved in 18 cartel investigations, scrutinizing approximately 1,800 tenders, with a significant focus on public procurement.

Balázs pointed out that the role of bidders is crucial in identifying cartel behavior in public procurement processes. He stressed that it is the legal obligation of bidders to report any suspected anti-competitive agreements to the competition authority.

In 2025, the GVH concluded three major cartel cases, including a significant fine of over 1.5 billion HUF imposed on six companies involved in a waste collection cartel. The authority also initiated five new cases, demonstrating its active stance against cartels on both national and international levels.

Furthermore, Balázs mentioned that the Hungarian government has tasked the GVH with conducting sectoral investigations to reduce the prevalence of single-bid public procurements, aligning with commitments made to the European Commission.

Overall, the GVH's findings indicate that measures to curb single-bid procurements have been effective, supporting the government's objectives in compliance with EU regulations.