The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in favour of a retailer who lost his license to sell tobacco following creation of a state monopoly in 2013 that slashed the number of retail licenses, the court said.

László Vékony, who closed the family business in Sopron after losing a tobacco license held since 2005, was awarded EUR 15,000 (USD 17,750) in damages and EUR 6,000 for costs, said the court in Strasbourg, France. Vékony was not told why his application failed to accrue sufficient points to qualify for a license, and state’s decision was not subject to appeal, the court said in a statement. The businessman was not compensated for his loss.
Whether the judgement will affect other retailers who lost their tobacco retail licenses was not immediately clear.