Accordo 09 dicembre 1998

Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Hungary and Serb Orthodox Diocese of Buda, 9 dicembre 1998.

Preamble

The Serb Orthodox Diocese of Buda has been enhancing Hungary’s material and intellectual culture for more than 300 years, and through its work of several centuries has played a significant role in the life, culture, and, with special emphasis, in the education of the Hungarian Serbs, though its work was utterly hindered due to nationalization, after World War II.
The churches in the ownership of the Serb Orthodox Diocese of Buda, the Museum of Religious Art, the real estates and the archives under processing are constitute an important segment of the Hungarian culture, especially of arts.
Taking into consideration the historic role of the Serb Orthodox Diocese of Buda together with those moral obligations the fulfilment of which is expected by the society and the community of believers, the Serb Orthodox Diocese of Buda is aiming at providing public benefit duties such as the reconstruction of churches and church buildings, the organi¬zation of the Tekelianum, an educational institution of European standards, as well as the introduction of religious education at schools within public education.
The Serb Orthodox Diocese of Buda is inspired to assume its role again, which provides an opportunity for the shaping of the Serb community in Hungary, for the moral guidance thereof, thus defining the historic role and place of the Serb Orthodox Diocese of Buda in today’s Hungarian society.
The Government of the Republic of Hungary (hereinafter referred to as Government) and the Serb Orthodox Diocese of Buda (hereinafter referred to as Church; together referred to as Parties), based on Section 3 of Act CXXIV/1997 on the Financial Conditions of the Religious and Public Purpose Activity of Churches, agree of the following:

1. The Church, in accordance with the regulations of Act XXXII/1991 On the Settlement of Ownership of Former Real Properties of the Churches (hereinafter Etv.), has compiled a list of those former real estates, which shall not be claimed in kind. The value of the buildings appearing on the list has been determined by a legal expert. The list contains the following buildings:
– Budapest, Tabán Bishop’s church (topographical lot number 6209), HUF 820 million,
– Székesfehérvár, Szent Imre church, Oskola str. I. (topographical lot number 275), HUF 28 million,
altogether: in the value of HUF 848 million.

2. The Government shall accept the list mentioned in article 1 as well as the value established by the expert.

3. The Parties agree to transform the value established in point 1. into a source of annuity, which shall be spent on the financing of the religious and public purpose activity of the Church. In accordance with Section 3 of Act CXXIV/1997, the rate of annuity shall be 4.5% of HUF 848 million between 1998 and 2001 (in 1998 this amount was HUF 38.160 million), and as of 2001, this rate is 5%, which shall be completed by the Government to amount HUF 44,91 million as of January 1, 1999.

4. Based on the aforementioned Act, the amount of the herein annuity shall be increased annually, in a rate corresponding to the pace of average devaluation of the Forint calculated on the annual planning of the central budget and shall be modified in a rate corresponding to the actual devaluation, following the adoption of the Act on the Execution of the Central Budget.

5. The annual allowance shall be made available quarterly by the day of the first month of the given quarter. Necessary corrections shall be transferred in one amount by the last day of the month following the passing of the Act on the Execution of the Central Budget.

6. Payment of the annuity shall be due until the termination of the Church without a legal successor.

7. The Church shall regard the compensation for its real property claims based on the Etv. to be settled in accordance with subsection (5), section 2 of the relevant Act fulfilled upon execution of Agreement.

8. The Parties hereby state that the provisions of present Agreement, concerning the supplement of annuity defined above the value of properties serving the basis of annuity, shall come into force upon amendment of the relevant regulations of Act CXXIV/1997. The Government undertakes to initiate these amendments at the Parliament of the Republic of Hungary. Other parts of the Agreement shall come into force and may be implemented following the signing of the Agreement.