Protection of Consumers Against Deception in the Financial Sector

The present article describes the decisions of the Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) concerning financial institutions adopted in the period 1997–2012. GVH sanctioned certain types of behaviour that not only infringed consumers’ rights, but also affected competition in the market adversely, weakening the position of competitors. The article outlines the types of deception and presents the information provided for the most important financial products. The study reviews the shortcomings of the information provided regarding special offers and variable structure product and the legality and modifying effect of the banks’ unilateral alteration of contracts. The author draws attention to the fact that information falsely presenting financial services as free of charge violates several rules and reminds us that the illegality of this information cannot be mitigated for by later conduct. The article considers the effects of GVH’s decisions on the behaviour of the financial institutions and makes recommendations for avoiding infringements of the law

Ungenutztes Potential von Nachhaltigem Straßenbau

Zusammenfassung in deutscher SpracheAbweichender Titel nach Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des VerfassersDie derzeitige Situation der Umwelt zeigt die Notwendigkeit eines sofortigen Umdenkens und einer Neuplanung unseres Wirtschaftssystems. Obwohl der Bausektor nicht der weltweit größte Emittent ist, müssen die Treibhausgasemissionen und der Energieverbrauch in naher Zukunft reduziert werden, um ein positives Beispiel für andere Wirtschaftssektoren zu zeigen und einem grünen Wandel der Wirtschaft zu ermöglichen. Vor diesem Hintergrund zählt die Diplomarbeit die wichtigsten Umweltaspekte aktueller Straßenbaustoffe und fasst Konzepte neuer Innovationen auf. Ihre Möglichkeiten und Schwierigkeiten werden präsentiert und die Probleme der aktuellen Situation und die möglichen Lösungen für die Entwicklung in naher Zukunft nähergebracht. Offene Interviews mit Fachleuten sowie eine Überprüfung verschiedener schriftlicher Materialien bilden die Hauptquellen der Studie. Die These zeigt, dass viel ungenutztes Potenzial bei Konventionellen Straßenbaumaterialen – wie Asphalt und Beton – und bei Innovationen für alternative Straßenbaumaterialien vorhanden ist, aber die Verbreitung umweltfreundlicherer Methoden steht vor vielen Hindernissen. Asphaltprodukte müssen entwickelt werden, um die technischen Anforderungen bei einer niedrigeren Produktionstemperatur zu erfüllen, die die Warm-, Kalt- und Halbwarmasphaltprodukte wie LEA bieten, um die Treibhausgasemissionen zu reduzieren und einen Schritt zu einer nachhaltigeren Produktion sicherzustellen. Die Menge an Asphaltprodukten - sowie anderen Abfallstoffen -, die in der Produktionskette recycelt werden, muss erhöht werden, um einen Teil des Rohstoffs zu ersetzen - die Auswirkungen der Gewinnung zu verringern - und um zu vermeiden, dass mehr Abfallmaterial erzeugt wird. Es gibt Konzepte, um Kunststoff für vorgefertigte Straßenbauplatten zu recyceln, aber Kunststoff und Polymere können auch als Additiv bei der Asphaltproduktion verwendet werden. Sowohl für die Asphalt- und Betonproduktion ist es förderlich, die Energieproduktion der Mischanlagen und Fabriken von fossilen Brennstoffen auf grüne, erneuerbare Energiequellen umzustellen. Neue Konzepte experimentieren mit der Möglichkeit, Straßenoberflächen als Solarenergiequelle zu nutzen, zusätzlich können Straßentechnologie-Geräte Solarpanels ergänzen. Um die Auswirkungen verschiedener Technologien zu vergleichen, sind Managementinstrumente, wie die Lebenszyklusanalyse für den Entscheidungsprozess hilfreich. Neben den grundlegenden technischen Anforderungen müssen neue Innovationen auch nach dem erfolgreichen Nachweis ihrer Geeignetheit aus wirtschaftspolitischen, rechtlichen und sozialen Aspekten mit vielen Hindernissen konfrontiert werden.The current situation of the environment highlights the necessity of immediate rethinking and re-planning our economic system. Although the building sector is not the highest emitter of green-house gases (GHG) worldwide, the amount of GHG emissions and energy consumption must be reduced in the near future, in order to lead by example for other sectors and to contribute to a green change of the economy. In light of this background, the thesis aims to summarize the most important environmental aspects of current road building materials and the concepts of new innovation, presenting their opportunities and difficulties to spread, as well as made an attempt to highlight the most recent difficulties, pointing out possible solutions that can contribute to emission reductions and technological advancement in the near future. In-depth, opened interviews with professionals of the field, as well as a review of various written materials, constitute the primary sources of the study. The thesis reveals that there is significant unused potential in the conventional road materials – asphalt and concrete – and in innovations for alternative materials as road pavements, but the spread of environmentally friendly methods is facing many obstacles. Asphalt production should be developed further in order to achieve the existing technical requirements of the road surface, but on a lower temperature. Applying warm-, cold- and half warm mix asphalt products - like LEA – in the production might be a possible way to reduce GHG-emission and ensure more sustainable production. The amount of asphalt products – as well as other waste materials – recycled in the production chain must be increased to replace some of the raw material – by reducing the impacts of extraction – and to avoid generating more waste material. There are concepts to recycle plastic for prefabricated road pavement panels, but plastic and polymers can be used as additive in asphalt production too. For both asphalt and concrete production, it is promotable to change the energy production of the mixing plants and factories from fossil fuels to green, renewable energy sources. New concepts are experimenting the opportunity of using road surfaces as solar energy sources, but the road technology devices also have the potential to complement with solar panels. To compare the impacts of different technologies, management tools like Life-Cycle Analysis are useful in the process of decision making. Next to the basic technical requirements for a new innovation must face many obstacles even after the successful demonstration of their technical viability from economic-political, legal, and social aspects.13

Joint and Several Liability of Competition Law Infringers in the Legislation of Central and Eastern European Member States

The study reviews the provisions of the Directive by, first, presenting its general rule – joint and several liability – and then its two exceptions, pointing out that albeit they contain similar solutions, these have different reasons in the case of leniency applicants obtained immunity from fines and small and medium-sized enterprises. The study examines whether the 11 CEE Member States prescribe joint and several liability, in principle, to cases where multiple persons cause harm jointly by an infringement of competition law. The study also analyses the position of an immunity recipient in national laws. During the examination, the study separates the position of the immunity recipient and the injured parties, as well as the position of the immunity recipient and other co-infringers, as is the case in the Directive. The study summarizes also national experiences with the implementation of the Damages Directive. It is a fact that the norms of the Directive have been implemented, and there is no deviation to jeopardize either the enforcement of claims for damages or the integrity of the internal market. Nevertheless, having established two separate exceptions, it would have been duly justified for the Commission to explain them in detail, considering their rules differ from each other. Noticeably, some CEE countries considered the difference unjustified and uniformly provided an opportunity for the co-infringer who compensated the harm of an injured party to submit a reimbursement claim against the immunity recipient and SMEs. Other CEE countries considered that they did not have the authority to do so. It would be worth reviewing the implementation of the exceptions to joint and several liabilities after a year, in conjunction with the issue of alternative dispute resolution. The study makes a proposal for an amendment of the Directive. Doctrinal views related to the SMEs exemption from joint and several liability draw attention to the fact that it is unfortunate if solutions designed in a relatively late stage of the legislative procedure do, in fact, later become a part of that directive. It would seem practical, for example, to declare that this exception shall be applied also to micro enterprises in relation to the compensation of harms caused by infringements of competition law. The Damages Directive requires, however, the implementation of this exception only with regard to small and medium-sized enterprises

A versenyjog legújabb fejleményei - Európai uniós kitekintéssel

IgenA mű a KÖFOP-2.1.2-VEKOP-15-2016-00001 azonosító számú, „A jó kormányzást megalapozó közszolgálat-fejlesztés” elnevezésű kiemelt projekt keretében jelenik meg.Bibliogr.: p. 107-114. és a lábjegyzetekben.NemKÖFOP-2.1.2-VEKOP-15-2016-0000