While the Hungarian government takes a firm stance in the EU’s debate over protection of minority rights, Hungarian employees still cannot enjoy the protection from ethnic discrimination by EU standards. Parliament passed a law on equal opportunities two years ago, however, Brussels has not been informed whether the new Hungarian law corresponds to EU legislation. For the non-compliance, Hungary might have to pay a penalty to the EU.

Minority rights, however, is only one of the two dozens of issues that Hungary needs to regulate according to EU legislation. A small part of EU regulations take effect directly in all of the 25 member states, while the majority of them – involving issues that member states can regulate on their own – have to be adopted by the members’ local legislation. In the latter cases, member states have to pass the local regulations by certain deadlines. (According to estimates, such adopting work takes up half of all legislation in the EU member states.)

When the local regulations are passed, the member states have to send texts of the laws to Brussels for a revision. If a government fails to adopt a new law on time, or makes a mistake in passing the local version of an EU rule, and does not catch up or correct its mistake upon request, the EC can sue the government at the European Court, which then decides on a penalty in proportion with the damages caused by the member state’s lateness.

Close to the end of 2004, the EC warned some of the new member states – in a confidential manner for the first time. The EC warned Hungary, as well, requesting explanation for not knowing about the Hungarian versions of 32 EU laws that the country was supposed to pass by November 2004. Laws that Hungary failed to pass include the ones on protecting clients of financial institutions, on working hours, on railways, on banning asbestos, on the protection of wild birds, and the one on trading of emissions quotas. If Hungary does not catch up by mid-February, the EC is expected to make open statements on the delay.

“We will start the first legal proceedings by the summer,” said sources at the EC. According to local experts, Hungary’s media law is the furthest of all legislation from being converted according to EU rules. Since Hungary’s media requires a two-thirds majority vote, none of the recent governments have been able to amend it to date.