Corporate Philanthropy and Social Responsibility in Latin America

Case Notes: Central and Eastern Europe

The International Journal
of Not-for-Profit Law

Volume 4, Issue 1, September 2001

Hungary

Freedom of Association Violated in the Hungarian Law on Associations.  In Art 4.1 of the Law on Associations in Hungary, it is stated that an association does not come into being until it is duly registered in accordance with the law.  According to the law, organizations must be promptly registered (Art. 15.3).  This requirement is further supported by the Civil Procedure Code, which requires that courts must proceed in a timely fashion (Art. 2.1)

Although the Constitutional Court, in Decision 6/2001 (III.14) AB, upheld the constitutionality of the registration requirement, it also decided that the law does not contain adequate guarantees against undue delays in the registration process.  The Court therefore ordered the Parliament to adopt new legislation containing appropriate safeguards against delay by the end of this year.