. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/HUN/22 
27 October 2008 
 (08-5210) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   HUNGARY
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:    
Ministry of Local Government – Legal Department 
Address: 1051 Budapest, József Attila utca 2-4. Tel: +361 441 1000, Fax: +36 1441 1537,  email: jofo@bm.gov.hu
  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:    
Name of individual completing and notifying the form: Dr. Béla RING 
Tel: +36 1441 1365, Fax:  +361 441 1537,  e-mail: ring.bela@otm.gov.hu 
Administrator in charge of producing the draft: Dr. Béla RING 
Tel: +361 441 1365, Fax: +361 441 1537,  email: ring.bela@otm.gov.hu
 
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Fire safety technical 
specifications of establishing, converting,  expanding and operating facilities producing, 
storing and using biogas, bio ethanol, bio diesel. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft ÖM Decree of 
the Ministry of Local Government on the technical specifications for fire safety of facilities utilising renewing sources of energy: biogas, bio ethanol, bio diesel (14 pages, Hungarian). 
6. Description of content:   The draft relies on practices in Hungary and on technical norms 
required and based on several decades of experi ences in neighbouring countries. The draft 
sets forth fire safety technical specifications to be complied with in the course of 
establishing (designing), converting, expanding and operating facilities producing, storing 
and using biogas, bio ethanol, bio diesel, whereby fire safety specialist authorities may proceed under uniform and transparent regulations. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:   In 
respect of combustible liquids, the specificati ons of the National Fire Safety Regulations 
(hereinafter referred to as NFSR) issued by ÖTM Decree 9/2008 (II. 22.) of the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development are applicable for the time being, but with a 
view to the properties of bio ethanol and bio diesel, such provisions are applicable to a 
limited extent only therefore, special regul ations are needed. In case of biogas, the 
specifications of the NFSR are even less appli cable; the fire safety technical specifications G/TBT/N/HUN/22 
Page 2  
 
  of producing and using this source of energy are unregulated in Hungary. In the absence of 
adequate regulation, specific decisions by au thorities resolve the specifications to be 
complied with. The transparent and uniform set of fire safety requirements implemented in case of the adoption of the decree shall acceler ate and simplify the authorisation process by 
the authorities; thus, shall increase investor’s in clination. Introduction of such regulations 
closing a gap may reduce the risks of fire attributable to the application of hazardous 
technologies. 
8. Relevant documents:  
-    Act XXXI of 1996 on protection against fi re, on technical rescue and on fire departments
-    ÖTM Decree 9/2008 (II. 22.) of the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development on issuing of the National Fire Safety Regulations, forwarded in connection 
with Notification 2007/209/HU. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    15 January 2009 
1 May 2009 
10. Final date for comments:   15 December 2008 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [    ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
Ministry for National Development and Economy, Notification Centre 
Tel: +36 1374 2873, Fax: +36 1473 1622 Email: notification@nfgm.gov.hu