The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) recently held its seventh conference under the Hungarian Compliance Academy (MCA), focusing on the theme of green compliance. This event, which took place on May 27, 2025, addressed the issue of misleading green claims and their relationship with competition.

Since its launch in early 2024, the MCA has aimed to enhance corporate compliance, thereby strengthening market competition and economic performance. The conference featured prominent speakers, including Csaba Kőrösi, former President of the UN General Assembly, and Nikoletta Keszthelyi, Deputy State Secretary for Environmental Protection at the Ministry of Energy.

Opening the conference, László Bak, Deputy President of the GVH, highlighted the importance of careful procedures in advertising communications that support sustainability efforts. He stressed that green claims must be substantiated with appropriate evidence and clearly defined.

Experts at the event discussed key aspects of green compliance, including the creation of legally compliant green claims, common pitfalls, and the relationship between these claims and competition law. The GVH also shared its latest procedural experiences.

A panel discussion featured Andrea Basa, head of the GVH Consumer Protection Office, Ildikó Fazekas, director of the Self-Regulatory Advertising Board, ecological economist Alexandra Köves, and lawyer Andrea Magdolna Nagy, moderated by Nóra Váczi, a member of the GVH Competition Council.

Between 2022 and 2024, the GVH conducted market analysis on environmental claims used by businesses in sectors such as food, clothing, chemicals, and cosmetics, assessing their impact on consumer purchasing intentions. Based on its findings, the GVH proposed several recommendations, including the establishment of a multi-tiered, state-regulated sustainability labeling system.

The GVH is currently investigating three cases related to environmental claims on labels of bottled water and soft drinks, while it concluded its proceedings against Cup Revolution, which operates a reusable cup system, in spring 2024. Additionally, the GVH participated in drafting and signing two global open letters in early 2025, urging the fashion and textile industry and the aviation sector to recognize the importance of accurate green claims.

The GVH reiterates that businesses must ensure their commercial communications regarding environmental protection and awareness are substantiated, fact-based, and clear to consumers. To assist in meeting these expectations, the GVH provides a Green Marketing Guide.