Hungary: Ombudsman Will Not Challenge Tobacco Tenders at Constitutional Court

Source from:  Politics.hu 08/13/2013

Civil rights ombudsman Máté Szabó will not turn to the Constitutional Court over the question of tobacco retail licences, his office announced in a weekend statement.

His office said the transformation of the tobacco retail trade into a state monopoly is a justifiable restriction on trade, as protection of minors against the health hazards of smoking is a legitimate constitutional interest.

The statement added, however, that the tender and the tender specifications violated the right to fair procedure in several respects. Enditem