European Union increases pressure on Hungary The Commission, the EU's executive, said the laws governing the central bank, the retirement age of judges and the country's data protection authority violated EU rules. They needed to be changed within one month if Hungary wanted to avoid a procedure that could end up at the European Court of Justice, the EU's highest court. "The Commission is determined to take any legal steps necessary to ensure that the compatibility with European Union legislation is maintained," Mr Barroso said in a statement. We hoped the Hungarian authorities would make the changes necessary to respect European law. This has not happened so far, so we have decided to launch the infringement proceedings. Hungary said it wanted to address the Commission's concerns fully, without going through the entire legal process. "Our goal is to give complete and substantial answers to the concerns raised, and that we find a solution to the problematic questions as soon as possible, preferably without going through the entire infringement procedure," the government spokesman's office said in a statement. EU officials, who are also struggling to contain a debt crisis in the euro zone, have led criticism of Mr Orban's policies. Legal proceedings against a member country's laws are rare and reflect growing fears about Hungary in European capitals.