Hungary’s parliament in early February approved a modified law on so-called pocket contracts, which sought to make action taken by the authorities against the invalid ownership and misuse of farmland in Hungary more effective. Rupprechter said earlier in the day that the European Commission had made an official promise to Austria to assess Hungary’s disputed new land law.

Rupprechter said he had received an official letter about this from the farm commissioner Dacian Ciolos in what he called an “important interim step”. The case falls within the scope of European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier and Rupprechter has already consulted him about it.

“This is a Hungarian issue and it is our job to settle it,” Fazekas said, adding that he still did not think it was necessary to consult with Austria about the case since Rupprechter had been “continually insulting Hungarians and continually reporting on us” instead of accepting that it is up to Hungary and not up to Austria to settle the farmland issue.

Source www.hungarymatters.hu

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