Hungary: Draft law targeting NGOs must be stopped
A draft law targeting Hungarian NGOs receiving funding from abroad on the grounds that they represent “foreign interests” is expected to be voted by the National Assembly on 12-15 June. If passed, the law would be the latest step in the crackdown on civil society in Hungary. It would become a tool to discredit and intimidate NGOs and undermine their capacity to protect human rights and provide valuable services to Hungarian people.
UA: 119/17 Index: EUR 27/6366/2017 Hungary Date: 26 May 2017
URGENT ACTION
DRAFT LAW TARGETING NGOS MUST BE STOPPED
A draft law targeting Hungarian NGOs receiving funding from abroad on the grounds that
they represent “foreign interests” is expected to be voted by the National Assembly on
12-15 June. If passed, the law would be the latest step in the crackdown on civil society
in Hungary. It would become a tool to discredit and intimidate NGOs and undermine their
capacity to protect human rights and provide valuable services to Hungarian people.
The draft “Law on the Transparency of Organisations Funded from Abroad” (T/14967), submitted to the National
Assembly on 7 April by members of the governing Fidesz party, would force Hungarian NGOs receiving more than
7.200.000 HUF (approx. € 24,000) per year from abroad to register as “civic organisations receiving foreign
funding” and to put this label on all their publications. This includes funding from all international sources not
managed by a central Hungarian budgetary institution. Organisations which fail to comply with the new
requirements would face sanctions that could go up to dissolution.
The draft is currently under discussion in the Hungarian National Assembly and the vote is expected to take place
during the 12-15 June plenary seating.
This proposal is the latest step in the crackdown on civil society in the country. By forcing NGOs to label
themselves as “foreign funded”, the Hungarian government is seeking to discredit their work and turn people
against them. The rationale of the proposal suggests that NGOs funded from abroad may serve “foreign interests”
and their funding can contribute to “endangering the sovereignty and national security of Hungary”. Existing
legislation in Hungary already ensures transparency and accountability for NGOs and the effect of this law will only
be to stigmatize, discredit and intimidate NGOs. It will also undermine the capacity of NGOs to promote and defend
human rights and provide valuable services to people in Hungary by significantly increasing their administrative
burdens. The government has staunchly attacked several NGOs, human rights defenders, watchdogs and
environmental activists.
Please write immediately in Hungarian, English or your own language:
Calling on the Fidesz party leadership to withdraw the draft law on NGOs;
Calling on them to ensure that NGOs can seek, receive and use funding from foreign and international sources
without undue impediments;
Urging the Hungarian authorities to stop the stigmatization and intimidation of civil society organizations and
human rights defenders.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 7 JULY 2017 TO:
Prime Minister
Viktor Orbán
1357 Budapest, Pf. 6.
Hungary
Fax: +36 1 795 0381
Email: orbanviktor@orbanviktor.hu or
miniszterelnok@mk.gov.hu
Salutation: Dear Prime Minister
And copies to:
Vice-chair of the Fidesz party
parliamentary group
Dr Gergely Gulyás
Fidesz Központi Hivatal
1062 Budapest, Lendvay utca 28.
Hungary
Email: gergely.gulyas@parlament.hu
And copies to:
Government spokesperson
Zoltán Kovács
1357 Budapest, Pf. 6.
Hungary
Fax: +36 1 795 0381
Email: kormanyszovivo@mk.gov.hu or
intcomm@mk.gov.hu
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Fax Email Salutation
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
URGENT ACTION
DRAFT LAW TARGETING NGOS MUST BE STOPPED
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Existing legislation in Hungary already ensures transparency and accountability for NGOs. The draft law would further
shrink the space for civil society and would particularly restrict the work of those working to promote and defend human
rights and provide valuable services to society. The Law CLXXV of 2011 on the right to association, the public benefit
status, and the operation and support of civil society organizations, (Sections 20, 29-30) prescribes detailed reporting
requirements for civil society organisations.
A European Parliament (EP) resolution of 17 May 2017 on the situation in Hungary (2017/2656(RSP)) asked that the
Hungarian government withdraw the draft law. The resolution stresses that the European Union (EU) – which Hungary
joined in 2004 – is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and
respect for human rights. Following the EP resolution, which also noted with concern that the current situation in Hungary
represents a clear risk of a serious breach of the founding values of the EU, members of the Hungarian government
declined to withdraw or to amend the proposal.
The draft law has been received with concern by independent experts on the rights to freedom of assembly and
expression and human rights defenders, including the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and UN
Special Rapporteurs. The draft law is currently being reviewed by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe,
which will deliver its opinion in June.
International law and standards guarantee the right to freedom of association, which includes the right to form and join
formal or informal groups to take collective action, a critical element of the work of human rights defenders. States have
an obligation to provide the legal framework for the establishment of associations, must abstain from unduly obstructing
the exercise of this right. The right to solicit, receive and utilize resources, including from international sources, is an
essential element of the right to association and it is also enshrined in UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.
For information on recent attacks on NGOs, see Amnesty International’s 2015 report:
https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/eur27/0001/2015/en/
Name: NGOs in Hungary
Gender m/f: all
Further information on UA: 119/17 Index: EUR 27/6366/2017 Issue Date: 26 May 2017