Slovak business fined EUR 100,000 by Hungary

Hungary’s Competition Office (GVH) has fined Bensons Europe, a Slovak business, close to HUF 39 million (EUR 100,000) – the maximum allowed by law – for illegally advertising the sale of Elf Bar vaping products to consumers in Hungary, the watchdog said on Monday.

GVH launched a probe into two Slovak companies last summer and found that Bensons Europe had wrongly suggested to consumers that sales of the vaping products from its Hungarian-language webshop were legal. GVH noted in its statement that remote sales of vaping products are illegal in Hungary.

Bensons Europe was one of two Slovakian companies scrutinised by GVH for selling Elf Bar vaping products. It fined the other business, Yzer, HUF 68 million (EUR 174,262) late last year.

GVH said Elf Bar vaping products are “especially harmful” because of their popularity with young people.

The statement quoted the head of the Hungarian tax authority (NAV) as saying that NAV rigorously inspected the illegal trade of Elf Bar. “As a result, illicit products worth over HUF 160 million (EUR 410,000) have been seized and fines worth HUF 20 million (EUR 51,249) have been levied,” said Ferenc Vágujhelyi.

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