The plenary session of the body’s constitutional experts said states have the right to regulate international higher education institutions on their territory but called for making institutions already present exempt from the stipulations that require the education institution to have a campus in the origin country and ban the use of the same name for the institution in Hungarian and in the foreign language.

Commenting on the opinion, László Palkovics, Hungary’s secretary of state for education, said that the Commission’s position was “clearly favourable”, because it acknowledged the member states’ right to raise requirements against institutions on their territories.

The government, however, believes that laws should apply for anyone wishing to operate in Hungary. Exempting higher education institutions already in the country would harm the principle of equal opportunities, he said.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.