The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) is set to organize one of the world's most prestigious international cartel law conferences in Budapest, scheduled for November 11-13, 2026. This event is part of the GVH's ongoing commitment to the International Competition Network (ICN), of which it has been an active member since its establishment in 2001.

The ICN comprises over 140 national and multinational competition authorities, aiming to promote the harmonization of competition law rules and enforcement. Through practical recommendations, working groups, and annual conferences, the ICN supports effective and consistent competition law enforcement globally.

For over two decades, the GVH has played a significant role in the ICN's activities, having co-chaired the Cartel Working Group from 2004 to 2012 and participated in various subgroups. The authority's contributions were recognized when it hosted the ICN's annual global conference in October 2021 and when its president was elected as a permanent member of the ICN Steering Group in the fall of 2023.

During the 2025 ICN conference, Csaba Balázs Rigó's membership in the Steering Group was reaffirmed, and the GVH was re-elected as co-chair of the Cartel Working Group until 2027. The upcoming conference in Budapest will gather top competition law experts from around the world to discuss the most pressing issues related to cartel enforcement.

In terms of enforcement, the GVH has been notably active in tackling cartels, with 18 ongoing cartel cases in 2025, involving approximately 1,800 tenders. The authority closed three cartel cases and initiated five new ones that year. Notably, the GVH imposed significant fines in major cartel cases, including a collaboration among companies manufacturing and distributing medical devices and a refuse truck cartel, which resulted in fines exceeding 1.5 billion HUF for six companies.