“Court Ruling Could Grind Chinese Electric Battery Plant Construction to a Halt” 30 November 2023

On Wednesday morning, the Curia annulled one of the basic permits for the CATL battery plant in Debrecen (eastern Hungary), reports Világgazdaság. The initiative was launched by the opposition in order to make the Hungarian government look impossible in the eyes of foreign investors.

Laywer András Schiffer represented pro bono a citizen of Debrecen who had applied to the court for a review..."They annulled the authorization granted by the county disaster recovery authority for the CATL investment in Debrecen", he announced...

... András Schiffer told Debreciner.hu that in his view the construction of the battery factory should now be stopped, as it does not have a disaster recovery permit as of 11 a.m. on Wednesday.

László Nándor Horváth, the citizen that initiated the case, was somewhat more reserved in his assessment. He says the ruling does not mean that the battery factory will not come to Debrecen, but it has bought time.

The Chinese battery factory in Debrecen is facing a series of legal actions...

Concerns have been raised about the CATL’s battery factory for a while now. However, although the strong opposition from Debrecen residents, in February this year the project was granted an environmental permit under very strict conditions...