On July 9, 2026, the Chinese language website of German international broadcaster Deutsche Welle reported that with the strengthening of environmental regulations by Hungary's new government, a significant impact is spreading on China's electric vehicle (EV) battery industry.

The article reported that in late June, Hungarian environmental authorities decided to temporarily suspend the production permit of the Chinese battery component manufacturer Enjie New Material (恩捷股份) due to the detection of large-scale aluminum contamination around its factory.

It also mentioned specific data: official groundwater inspection reports detected concentrations of various heavy metals such as aluminum, arsenic, zinc, lead, cobalt, cadmium, nickel, and chromium exceeding standard values by more than 13,000 times. Consequently, authorities in Debrecen, where the factory is located, decided to file criminal charges, and on the 1st of this month, Mayor Papp publicly called on the company, stating, "You should leave Debrecen."

Furthermore, it explained that while former Prime Minister Orbán attracted significant foreign investment and grew the EV battery industry in Hungary since 2021, when a new government led by center-right opposition leader Magyar as prime minister was formed after the general election in April this year, a policy was announced to re-examine all battery production permits nationwide. It added that Environment Minister László warned that battery factories not complying with environmental regulations would be shut down.

Moreover, it also mentioned that Deputy State Secretary for Transport Investment Tárkányi, a member of the ruling Tisza party, indicated an intention to establish a new regulatory body to monitor and sanction industrial enterprises that pollute the environment. It reported that many battery factory construction plans within the country have caused strong dissatisfaction among local residents, with concerns about dust, water pollution, and noise.

The article also introduced that as China's industry leader Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) proceeds with the construction of a battery factory in Debrecen, Tárkányi stated in late May that "the government will not support expansion plans to build second and third factories adjacent to the existing factory site." (Edited/Translated by Kawajiri)