The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) has identified a cartel involving five solar panel installation companies following a report from the Integrity Authority. The investigation revealed that these companies engaged in anti-competitive behavior across 27 individual bids for a project funded by the European Agricultural Fund.

In 2023, the GVH initiated proceedings against seven solar panel companies based on suspicions of collusive agreements regarding the 'Rural Household Scale Electricity and Water Supply, and Wastewater Treatment Developments' project. The investigation found that five of these companies participated in anti-competitive practices by soliciting and providing supportive offers to each other.

Only one company presented a substantive defense, claiming that the actions of its employee were unknown to the management, thus arguing that the company should not be held accountable for the collusion. The GVH emphasized that a company is considered an independent economic entity, and the responsibility for anti-competitive behavior does not depend on whether it was conducted by a formal representative or an employee.

The collusive bids amounted to approximately 80 million HUF, but only 7 million HUF worth of projects were actually realized. Considering the limited economic impact of the agreements, the GVH imposed a total fine of about 8,949,000 HUF on the five companies involved: Greentechnic Kft., Technosolar Kft., Első Magyar Solar Kft., AZE Zero Hungary Kft., and Rivil Klíma Kft.

The case was initiated based on a report from the Integrity Authority, which the GVH has committed to investigating thoroughly. However, the GVH cautioned that the societal benefit of investigating similarly low-impact cases may be questionable, as the resources used could equal the fines imposed.

To maximize societal benefit, the GVH plans to focus its resources on uncovering and dismantling more significant cartel cases in the future, as permitted by relevant EU directives and Hungarian competition law.

In an international context, the GVH is actively involved in cartel investigations, currently handling 22 different cartel cases and examining around 1,800 tenders. The number of companies involved in ongoing cartel proceedings exceeds 250. In 2025, the GVH closed three major cartel cases with fines totaling 2.2 billion HUF and initiated five new cases. In 2026, six new cartel investigations have already commenced.