Hungary is creating a registry of operators barred from government procurement
The Hungarian Integrity Authority is launching procedures to create a registry of economic operators barred from participating in public procurement. The publicly accessible database will be posted on the Electronic Public Procurement System, according to Euronews.
Operators will be added to the registry if there is a final court ruling regarding criminal offenses defined by the Public Procurement Act against their executives, supervisory board members, directors, or ultimate beneficial owners. The purpose of this mechanism is to prevent such entities from participating in tenders, to prevent new abuses, and to ensure the integrity of procurement.
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According to the publication, this measure is necessary to restore Hungary’s access to EU funding. At the same time, the authorities have provided for a so-called “self-cleaning” procedure: operators may be removed from the list if they prove that they have restored their credibility.
The Integrity Office will conduct the self-cleaning procedure electronically on its own initiative. If an operator files an objection, it must document the compensation for damages caused by the violation or commit to compensating for them within a specified timeframe. They must also confirm their cooperation with the competent authorities, a full investigation of the circumstances of the case, and the implementation of technical, organizational, and personnel measures to prevent future violations. The relevant authorities will have 20 days to review the objections and make a decision regarding removal from the list.
