COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review Country Report - HUNGARY Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions The EU Environmental Implementation Review: Common Challenges and how to combine efforts to deliver better results
Date: 2017-02-03
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: EU environmental policy, EU initiative, Hungary, application of EU law, environmental law, environmental protection, pollution control measures

EN 

   EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 3.2.2017  SWD(2017) 46 final   COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT The EU Environmental Implementation Review Country Report - HUNGARY   Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions The EU Environmental Implementation Review: Common Challenges and how to combine efforts to deliver better results   {COM(2017) 63 final} {SWD(2017) 33 - 45 final} {SWD(2017) 47 - 60 final}  
 
 
Hungary  2 

This  report  has  been  written  by  the  staff  of  the  Directorate-General  for  Environment,  European 
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©European Union, 2017 

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Hungary  3 

Table of Contents 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................... 4 

PART I: THEMATIC AREAS ............................................................................................................................... 5 

1. 

TURNING  THE  EU  INTO  A  CIRCULAR,  RESOURCE-EFFICIENT,  GREEN  AND  COMPETITIVE  LOW-
CARBON ECONOMY ............................................................................................................................... 5 

Developing a circular economy and improving resource efficiency ..................................................... 5 

Measures towards a circular economy ..................................................................................... 5 

SMEs and resource efficiency .................................................................................................... 5 

Eco-Innovation .......................................................................................................................... 6 

Waste management .............................................................................................................................. 6 

2. 

PROTECTING, CONSERVING AND ENHANCING NATURAL CAPITAL ....................................................... 9 

Nature and Biodiversity ......................................................................................................................... 9 

Estimating Natural Capital................................................................................................................... 11 

Green Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................... 11 

Soil protection ..................................................................................................................................... 11 

3. 

ENSURING CITIZENS' HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE .......................................................................... 13 

Air quality ............................................................................................................................................ 13 

Noise  14 

Water quality and management ......................................................................................................... 14 

Enhancing the sustainability of cities .................................................................................................. 17 

International agreements ................................................................................................................... 18 

PART II: ENABLING FRAMEWORK: IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS ..................................................................... 19 

4.  MARKET BASED INSTRUMENTS AND INVESTMENT ............................................................................ 19 

Green taxation and environmentally harmful subsidies ..................................................................... 19 

Green Public Procurement .................................................................................................................. 20 

Investments: the contribution of EU funds ......................................................................................... 20 

5. 

EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE AND KNOWLEDGE ...................................................................................... 22 

Effective governance within central, regional and local government ................................................. 22 

Capacity to implement rules ................................................................................................... 22 

Coordination and integration .................................................................................................. 23 

Compliance assurance ......................................................................................................................... 23 

Public participation and access to justice ........................................................................................... 25 

Access to information, knowledge and evidence ................................................................................ 25 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
 
 
Executive summary 

About the Environmental Implementation Review 

represents a challenge.  

Hungary  4 

launched 

reports  describing 

the 
the  Commission 
In  May  2016, 
Environmental  Implementation  Review  (EIR),  a  two-year 
cycle  of  analysis,  dialogue  and  collaboration  to  improve 
the  implementation  of  existing  EU  environmental  policy 
and  legislation1.  As  a  first  step,  the  Commission  drafted 
28 
the  main  challenges  and 
opportunities on environmental implementation for each 
Member  State.  These  reports  are  meant  to  stimulate  a 
positive debate both on shared environmental challenges 
for  the  EU,  as  well  as  on  the  most  effective  ways  to 
address the key implementation gaps. The reports rely on 
the detailed sectoral implementation reports collected or 
issued  by  the  Commission  under  specific  environmental 
legislation  as  well  as  the  2015  State  of  the  Environment 
Report  and  other  reports  by  the  European  Environment 
Agency.  These  reports  will  not  replace  the  specific 
instruments  to  ensure  compliance  with  the  EU  legal 
obligations.  

The  reports  will  broadly  follow  the  outline  of  the  7th 
Environmental Action Programme2 and refer to the 2030 
related 
for  Sustainable  development  and 
Agenda 
Sustainable Development  Goals  (SDGs)3  to  the  extent  to 
which  they  reflect  the  existing  obligations  and  policy 
objectives of EU environmental law4.  

The  main  challenges  have  been  selected  by  taking  into 
account factors such as the importance or the gravity of 
the  environmental  implementation  issue  in  the  light  of 
the  impact  on  the  quality  of  life  of  the  citizens,  the 
distance to target, and financial implications. 

The  reports  accompany  the  Communication  "The  EU 
Environmental  Implementation  Review  2016:  Common 
challenges  and  how  to  combine  efforts  to  deliver  better 
results", which identifies challenges that are common to 
several Member States, provides preliminary conclusions 
on  possible  root  causes  of  implementation  gaps  and 
proposes  joint  actions  to  deliver  better  results.  It  also 
groups in its Annex the actions proposed in each country 
report to improve implementation at national level. 

General profile 

Although  Hungary  is  making  efforts  to  preserve  its  rich 
its  environmental 
natural  heritage  and 
still 
performance, 

implementation 

environmental 

improve 

Main Challenges 

three  main 

The 
to 
implementation  of  EU  environmental  policy  and  law  in 
Hungary are: 

challenges  with 

regard 

  Accelerating the progress made over the past decade 
to  meet  the  EU  waste  targets,  also  by  revising  the 
tariff policy for waste management.  

  Complying  with  EU  air  quality 
particular for dust particles.  

limit  values, 

in 

  Completing  the  Natura  2000  network  with  site-
specific 
conservation  measures  and  ensuring 
them  combined  with 
adequate 
floodplain conservation and restoration including the 
flood risk management (minimalize the flood risk) 

resources 

for 

Main Opportunities 

Hungary  could  perform  better  on  topics  where  there  is 
already a good knowledge base and good practices. This 
applies in particular to: 

  Using  the  financial  opportunities  made  available  by 
the  EU  (the  EU  structural  and  investment  funds  – 
ESIF, EFSI as well as EIB loans) in the sectors covered 
by the EIR. 

  Using  the  upcoming  review  of  the  National  Waste 
Management Plan to make a better use of economic 
instruments  to  prevent  waste  generation,  improve 
separate  collection  and  recycling,  and  reduce 
landfilling. 

  Stepping  up  the  implementation  of  the  national 
Cross-sectoral  Action  Programme  for  the  reduction 
of small particulate matter (PM10)5.  

Points of Excellence 

Where  Hungary 
leader  on  environmental 
implementation,  innovative  approaches  could  be  shared 
more widely with other countries. A good example is: 

is  a 

  The  recently  established  unified  National  Research, 
Development  and  Innovation  Fund,  provided  that  it 
allocates  state  support  for  research,  development 
and innovation in environmental fields. 

1 Communication "Delivering the benefits of EU environmental policies 

through a regular Environmental Implementation Review" 
(COM/2016/ 316 final). 

2 Decision No. 1386/2013/EU of 20 November 2013 on a General Union 
Environmental Action Programme to 2020 "Living well, within the 
limits of our planet". 

3 United Nations, 2015. The Sustainable Development Goals  
4 This EIR report does not cover climate change, chemicals and energy. 

5 This Programme was approved by Government Decree No 1330/2011 

of 12 October 2011. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
Hungary  5 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 
Part I: Thematic Areas 

1. Turning the EU into a circular, resource-efficient, green and 

competitive low-carbon economy 

Developing a circular economy and improving 
resource efficiency 

The 2015 Circular Economy Package emphasizes the need 
to  move  towards  a  lifecycle-driven  ‘circular’  economy, 
with a cascading use of resources and residual waste that 
is  close  to  zero.  This  can  be  facilitated  by  the 
development  of,  and  access  to,  innovative  financial 
instruments and funding for eco-innovation. 

SDG  8  invites  countries  to  promote  sustained,  inclusive 
and  sustainable  economic  growth,  full  and  productive 
employment  and  decent  work  for  all.  SDG  9  highlights 
the  need  to  build  resilient 
infrastructure,  promote 
inclusive  and  sustainable  industrialization  and  foster 
innovation.  SDG 12  encourages countries  to  achieve  the 
sustainable  management  and  efficient  use  of  natural 
resources by 2030. 

Measures towards a circular economy 

Transforming our economies from linear to circular offers 
an  opportunity  to  reinvent  them  and  makes  them  more 
sustainable  and  competitive.  This  will 
stimulate 
investments and bring both short- and long-term benefits 
for the economy, environment and citizens alike.6  

Hungary is performing below the EU average in terms of 
resource  productivity (how efficiently the economy  uses 
material resources to produce wealth)7, with 0.9 EUR/kg 
(EU  average  is  2)  in  2015.  Figure  1  shows  that  this 
represents a slight decrease since 2012. 

There  is  no  comprehensive  steer  towards  a  circular 
economy concept in Hungarian policies yet. The National 
Environmental  Programme  IV  (2015-2020)  is  the  latest 
broad strategic document relating to environment, which 
encompasses  several  different  strategies8,  and  for  this 
reason it could be a good starting point in this respect.  

Dialogues and consultation on the circular economy have 
started  mainly  involving  the  waste  management  sector 
and the public sector. 

6 European Commission, 2015. Proposed Circular Economy Package 
7 Resource productivity is defined as the ratio between gross domestic 

product (GDP) and domestic material consumption (DMC). 
8 including the Strategy for the Countryside, the National Forest 

Programme and Strategy, the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan, 
the National Renewable Energy Action Plan, the National Climate 
Change Strategy, the National Transport Strategy and also the 
National Concept of Development and Spatial Planning. 

Although  strategic  thinking  to  embed  the  circular 
economy concept in the Hungarian economy is yet to be 
developed,  there  is  both  political  will  and  some  private 
initiatives  to  improve  the  performance  in  the  use  of 
the  2011  National  Environmental 
resources. 
Technology  Innovation  Strategy9,  which  is  part  of  the 
Hungarian  National  Reform  Programme,  Hungary 
stipulates  reducing  its  material  intensity  to  80%  of  the 
2007 level by 2020. 

In 

technologies,  while 

Hungary  has  a  technology  advantage  in  environment-
related 
bio-and 
nanotechnologies  are  close  to  the  OECD  median. 
Regarding good practices, a project on the integration of 
algae  production  into  waste  water  treatment,  thereby 
enhancing  water  quality,  building  green 
image  and 
improving economics is a good example10. 

and 

ICT 

There  is  a  wide  use  of  measures  aiming  to  provide 
targeted 
information  and  advice  to  companies  on 
resource  efficiency.  One  of  the  main  measures  is  an 
initiative ('Ablakon Bedobott Pénz'), which consists of an 
eco-mapping of companies and a brainstorming with the 
employees  in  order  to  identify  a  list  of  measures  which 
could help to achieve environmental savings11. 
Figure 1: Resource productivity 2003-1512 

9 National Environmental Technology Innovation Strategy 2011–2020, 
approved by Government Decree No 1307/2011 of 6 September 
2011. 

10 Szent István Egyetem, 2015. Izolált algafajok célzott alapkutatása  
11 Ablakon Bedobott Pénz 
12 Eurostat, Resource productivity, accessed October 2016 

DRAFT Environmental Implementation Report 2016 – Hungary 

 
 
                                                            
 
 
 
 
                                                            
SMEs and resource efficiency 

Figure 2: Eco-Innovation Index 2015 (EU=100)17 

Hungary  6 

Around  59%  of  Hungary's  Small  and  Medium  Sized 
Enterprises  (SMEs)  have  invested  up  to  5%  of  their 
annual turnover in their resource efficiency actions (EU28 
average  50%),  18%  of  them  are  currently  offering  green 
products  and  services  (EU28  average  26%),  59%  took 
measures  to  save  energy  (EU28  average  59%),  48%  to 
minimise waste (EU28 average 60%), 44% to save  water 
(EU28  average  44%),  and  49%  to  save  materials  (EU28 
average  54%)13.  From  a  circular  economy  perspective, 
18%  took  measures  to  recycle  by  reusing  material  or 
waste  within  the  company  (EU28  average  40%),  14%  to 
design  products  that  are  easier  to  maintain,  repair  or 
reuse (EU28 average 22%) and 20% were able to sell their 
scrap material to another company (EU28 average 25%). 

The  resource  efficiency  actions  undertaken  allowed  the 
reduction of production costs in 50% of Hungary's SMEs 
(EU28 average 45%). In terms of "green jobs", 22% of the 
SMEs  in  Hungary  have  one  or  more  full  time  employee 
working  in  a  green  job  at  least  some  of  the  time  (EU28 
average 35%)14.  

Eco-Innovation 

is 

ranked  18th  on 

Hungary 
the  Eco-innovation 
scoreboard, as shown in Figure 2, which is still below the 
EU average, but showing a significant step forward from 
the 23rd position it occupied in 2013.  

Sustainable  Development 

Strategy 
The  National 
Framework (2012-24)15 adopted in March 2013, contains 
a  description  of  the  national  resources,  lists  ongoing 
unsustainable  processes  and  describes  the  appropriate 
it  confirms  that 
directions  to  choose.  Furthermore, 
scientific  research  and  corporate  innovation  constitute 
the basis for economic growth.  
Hungary has 29 EMAS16 registered organisations, which is 
quite low with respect to the total of 4034 organisations 
that  hold  a  registration.  As  regards  the  use  of  the  EU 
Ecolabel,  there  are  22  licenses,  which  is  a  low  number 
with respect to the 1875 total number of licenses.  

13 European Commission, 2015. Flash 426 Eurobarometer "SMEs, 

resource efficiency and green markets" 

14 The Flash 426 Eurobarometer defines "green job" as a job that 
directly deals with information, technologies, or materials that 
preserves or restores environmental quality. This requires specialised 
skills, knowledge, training, or experience (e.g. verifying compliance 
with environmental legislation, monitoring resource efficiency within 
the company, promoting and selling green products and services). 
15 18/2013. (III. 28.) OGY határozat a Nemzeti Fenntartható Fejlődés 
Keretstratégiáról; National Framework Strategy on Sustainable 
Development of Hungary 

16 The Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is a voluntary 
environmental management tool for companies and other 
organisations to evaluate, report and improve their environmental 
performance. 

Suggested action 

  Develop  an  overarching  circular  economy  policy 
framework,  create  economic  instruments  to  support 
the  transition  towards  it  and  raise  awareness  within 
the  general  public  and  private  sector  on  circular 
economy principles and products.  

  Adopt  circular  economy  principles  within  the  SME 
sector,  improve  their  access  to  finance,  promote  full-
time  green  jobs  and  support  the  increase  of  their 
innovation rates. 

  Incentivise investments in green products and services. 

Waste management  

Turning waste into a resource requires: 
 

implementation  of  Union  waste 

legislation, 
Full 
which  includes  the  waste  hierarchy;  the  need  to 
ensure  separate  collection  of  waste;  the  landfill 
diversion targets etc. 

  Reducing  per  capita  waste  generation  and  waste 

 

generation in absolute terms. 
Limiting energy recovery to non-recyclable materials 
and  phasing  out 
recyclable  or 
recoverable waste. 

landfilling  of 

SDG  12  invites  countries  to  substantially  reduce  waste 
generation  through  prevention,  reduction,  recycling  and 
reuse by 2030. 

The EU's approach to waste management is based on the 

17 Eco-innovation Observatory: Eco-Innovation scoreboard 2015 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
Hungary  7 

composting rate of only 6%, well below the EU average. 
Compliance  with  the  2020  target  of  50%  recycling  will 
therefore require more effort.21. 
Figure 4: Recycling rate of municipal waste 2007-1422 

"waste  hierarchy"  which  sets  out  an  order  of  priority 
when  shaping  waste  policy  and  managing  waste  at  the 
operational 
level:  prevention,  (preparing  for)  reuse, 
recycling,  recovery  and,  as  the  least  preferred  option, 
incineration 
includes 
disposal  (which 
without energy recovery). 

landfilling  and 

The  progress  towards  reaching  recycling  targets  and the 
adoption  of  adequate  waste  management plans  /  waste 
prevention  programs  are  key  items  to  measure  the 
performance  of  Member  States.  This  section  focuses  on 
management  of  municipal  waste  for  which  EU  law  sets 
mandatory recycling targets.  

Figure  3:  Municipal  waste  by  treatment  in  Hungary 
2007-1418 

Landfilling of municipal waste accounts for 57% whereas 
the EU average is 28%.23  

In  addition,  in  2012-14,  Hungary  did  not  meet  the  2008 
packaging  waste  recycling  target  of  55%  since  the 
recycling  rate  in  2014  accounted  for  52.3%,  while  the 
packaging  recovery  rate  dropped  slightly  below  the 
mandatory  level  of  60%.  In  order  to  help  bridging  the 
implementation  gap  in  Hungary,  the  Commission  has 
delivered a roadmap for compliance24. Hungary adopted 
a National Waste Management Plan for the period 2014-
20 which is currently under conceptual revision. 

Waste management is still inefficient in Hungary, which is 
struggling to meet important EU waste targets. Economic 
instruments  and  other  mechanisms  to  prevent  waste 
generation,  improve  separate  collection/recycling  and 
reduce landfilling are not efficient enough. 
Municipal  waste19  generation 
in  2014  has  slightly 
increased  compared  to  2013  (from  378  kg/y/inhabitant 
to 385 kg/y/inhabitant), but Hungary is below the EU-28 
average (which is 475 kg/y/inhabitant)20.  

Figure  3  depicts  the  municipal  waste  by  treatment  in 
Hungary  in  terms  of  kg  per  capita,  which  shows  an 
in 
increase  of  the  recycling  rates  and  a  decrease 
landfilling. 

Though slowly rising, recycling of municipal waste is still 
not  adequately  developed,  reaching  only  31%,  including 

18 Eurostat, Municipal waste and treatment, by type of treatment 

method, accessed October 2016 

19 Municipal waste consists of waste collected by or on behalf of 

municipal authorities, or directly by the private sector (business or 
private non-profit institutions) not on behalf of municipalities. 
20 Eurostat, Municipal waste generation and treatment, by type of 

treatment method, accessed October 2016 

The  underlying  causes  for  the  current  distance  to  EU 
waste targets are:  
 

Lack  of  co-ordination  between 
administrative levels;  
Insufficient  (door-to-door)  separate  collection  of 
waste;  

the  different 

 

to  divert  biodegradable  waste 

  No  developments  in  infrastructure  and  collection 
from 

systems 
landfilling;  
Lack of incentives to manage waste according to the 
waste hierarchy;  

 

  Extended  producer  responsibility  (EPR)  systems 

21 Member States may choose a different method than the one used by 
ESTAT (and referred to in this report) to calculate their recycling rates 
and track compliance with the 2020 target of 50% recycling of 
municipal waste. 

22 Eurostat, Recycling rate of municipal waste, accessed October 2016 
23 Although there are no targets on landfilling rates of municipal waste, 
there is a clear connection between low recycling performance and 
high landfilling. 

24 European Commission, 2016. 

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/framework/support_imple
mentation.htm. Country factsheet Hungary. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
could be improved.  

The  use  of  economic  instruments  is  important  in  this 
respect.  In  Hungary  there  is  an  existing  landfill  taxation 
regulation which was initially planned to be implemented 
on  a  phased  basis,  rising  from  EUR 10/t  to  EUR 40/t  by 
2016.25 Separate collection schemes should be improved 
through  more  door-to-door  collection  including  of  bio-
degradable  waste.  A  suitably  designed  aggregates  tax 
could  help  reduce  extraction  rates  for  aggregates  and 
stimulate  demand 
from  secondary 
for  aggregates 
sources.26 This approach is aligned with the Roadmap to 
a Resource Efficient Europe27. In addition, introducing an 
incineration  tax  could  help  avoiding  that  wastes  from 
landfills are simply shifted to incinerators. 

extended 

supporting 

In  Hungary,  two  instruments  are  widely  used  on  waste 
management 
producer 
responsibility. One is the so-called WEEE28 coupon, which 
is used when consumers (households) take back their e-
waste to an EEE selling point. The consumers then get  a 
coupon which can be used when the next piece of EEE is 
purchased29. The other tool is the environmental product 
fee,  which  is  applied  to  a  wide  range  of  products 
including  batteries,  packaging  materials,  EEE,  tyres, 
plastic bags, plastics and office paper30. 

However, government pricing policies applied, inter alia, 
in  the  waste  management  sector  have  triggered  forced 
tariff decreases which can potentially distort the market 
and  provide  wrong  incentives.  Recently  Hungary  has 
introduced  a  new  system,  whereby  standard  fees  are 
collected  from  the  population  by  a  newly  established 
national  holding,  redistributing  in  turn  the  resources  to 
the operators.31 However, the fees collected do not seem 

25 The landfill tax increased from EUR 10/t (2013) to EUR 20/t (2014) 

and it remained at that level since then.  

26 European Environment Agency (EEA) Effectiveness of Environmental 
Taxes and Charges for Managing Sand, Gravel and Rock Extraction in 
Selected EU Countries, June 2008. 

27 European Commission, Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe, 
COM(2011) 571, which outlines how we can transform Europe's 
economy into a sustainable one by 2050. 
28 waste electrical and electronic equipment 
29 The legal base of the coupon is the Gov. Decree No. 197/2014 (VIII. 

1.), which entered into force in 2015. 

30 In 2011 a ‘Green Tax Act’ on environmental product fees (2011. évi 
LXXXV. törvény a környezetvédelmi termékdíjról) was passed by the 
Parliament, introducing significant changes to the environmental 
fees on products. The fee on advertising papers was raised threefold. 
The most recent changes were made in 2015 when the fee was 
extended to additional products, including soaps, washing powders, 
cosmetic products, and, remarkably, to photovoltaic panels. 
Furthermore, the recent changes introduced six new ‘pollution 
categories’ according to the degree of the pollution of the specific 
products. The main aim of these changes was to create a more 
transparent and simpler system which would reduce the 
administrative burden. 

31 Since 1 April 2016 the National Organizer of Waste and Asset 

Management has been in charge of coordinating the public waste 
management services at the national level, collecting the public 
service fees from the population and paying the service fee to the 
public service operators for their activity. The standard fee is 

Hungary  8 

to  guarantee  coverage  of  the  actual  costs  of  waste 
management.  Therefore,  these  recent  reforms  raise 
serious  concerns  regarding  the  medium  to  long-term 
sustainability of environmental projects.32  

Preventing and reducing waste generation, together with 
the  necessary  increase  in  reuse  and  recycling,  could 
improve  resource  efficiency  of  the  Hungarian  economy, 
increase  business  opportunities  and  provide  jobs  in  the 
recycling sector, conducive to a circular economy. Better 
allocation  of  Cohesion  Policy  funds  towards  solution 
ranking higher in the waste hierarchy will also contribute 
to  this  goal.  When  taking  decisions  about  future  waste 
management  infrastructure,  care  needs  to  be  taken  not 
to create overcapacities for residual waste management 
(mechanical-biological  treatment  plants  and  waste-to-
energy plants). 

Full  implementation  of  the  existing  EU  waste  legislation 
could  create  more  than  13,300  jobs  in  Hungary  and 
increase the annual turnover of the waste sector by EUR 
1.4  billion.  Moving  towards  the  targets  of  the  Roadmap 
on  resource  efficiency,  which  outlines  how  we  can 
transform  Europe's  economy  into  a  sustainable  one  by 
2050,  could  create  over  16,000  additional  jobs  and 
increase the annual turnover of the waste sector by over 
EUR 1,688 million33. 

Suggested action 

  Increase gradually landfill taxes to phase-out landfilling 
of recyclable and recoverable waste. Use the revenues 
to  support  the  separate  collection  and  alternative 
infrastructure in conjunction with a better allocation of 
the cohesion policy funds to the higher steps of waste 
hierarchy,  while  avoiding  excessive  infrastructure  for 
the treatment of residual waste. 

  Implement  an  efficient  tariff  policy  to  ensure  financial 
viability  of  waste  management  companies,  and 
financial sustainability of projects. 

  Undertake  a 

review  of 
performance of EPR schemes. 

the  governance  and 

determined at the national level with a possibility of using correction 
factors depending on the quality of services provided and on the 
contribution to the fulfilment of EU waste targets. 

32 The new system is at an early phase of implementation, therefore its 

medium to long-term effects are only estimates. 

33 Bio Intelligence service, 2011. Implementing EU Waste legislation for 
Green Growth, study for European Commission. The breakdown per 
country on job creation was made by the consultant on Commission 
demand but was not included in the published document.  

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
                                                            
 
 
                                                                                                 
2. Protecting, conserving and enhancing natural capital 

Hungary  9 

Nature and Biodiversity  

The  EU  Biodiversity  Strategy  aims  to  halt  the  loss  of 
biodiversity  in  the  EU  by  2020,  restore  ecosystems  and 
their services in so far as feasible, and step up efforts to 
avert  global  biodiversity  loss.  The  EU  Birds  and  Habitats 
Directives  aim  at  achieving  favourable  conservation 
status of protected species and habitats.  

SDG  14  requires  countries  to  conserve  and  sustainably 
use the oceans, seas and marine resources, while SDG 15 
requires  countries  to  protect,  restore  and  promote  the 
sustainable  use  of  terrestrial  ecosystems,  sustainably 
manage  forests,  combat  desertification,  and  halt  and 
reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. 

The  1992  EU  Habitats  Directive  and  the  1979  Birds 
Directive are the cornerstone of the European legislation 
aimed  at  the  conservation  of  the  EU's  wildlife.  Natura 
2000, the largest coordinated network of protected areas 
in  the  world,  is  the  key  instrument  to  achieve  and 
implement the Directives' objectives to ensure the  long-
term  protection,  conservation  and  survival  of  Europe's 
most  valuable  and  threatened  species  and  habitats  and 
the ecosystems they underpin. 

The  adequate  designation  of  protected  sites  as  Special 
Ares  of  Conservation  (SAC)  under  the  Habitats  Directive 
and  as  Special  Protection  Areas  (SPA)  under  the  Birds 
Directive 
is  a  key  milestone  towards  meeting  the 
objectives  of  the  Directives.  The  results  of  Habitats 
Directive  Article  1734  and  Birds  Directive  Article  12 
reports  and  the  progress  towards  adequate  Sites  of 
Community  Importance  (SCI)-SPA  and  SAC  designation35 
both  in  land  and  at  sea,  should  be  the  key  items  to 
measure the performance of Member States. 

Hungary hosts 46 habitat types and 142 species covered 
by  the  Habitats  Directive.  The  country  also  hosts 
populations of 78 bird species listed in the Birds Directive 
and 23 migratory species.  

By  early  2016,  21.44%  of  the  national  land  area  of 
Hungary  is covered  by  Natura  2000  (EU  average  18.1%), 
with 56 Birds Directive SPAs covering 14.78% (EU average 
12.3%)  and  479  Habitats  Directive  SCIs  covering  15.25% 
(EU average 13.8%).  

34 The core of the ‘Article 17’ report is the assessment of conservation 
status of the habitats and species targeted by the Habitats Directive 
35 Sites of Community Importance (SCIs) are designated pursuant to the 
Habitats Directive whereas Special Areas of Protection (SPAs) are 
designated pursuant to the Birds Directive; figures of coverage do 
not add up due to the fact that some SCIs and SPAs overlap. Special 
Areas of Conservation (SACs) means a SCI designated by the Member 
States. 

Figure  536  shows  that  the  SCIs  part  of  the  Natura  2000 
sufficiently 
is 
network 
designated37. 

in  Hungary 

considered 

Figure  5:  Sufficiency  assessment  of  SCI  networks  in 
Hungary  based  on  the  situation  until  December  2013 
(%)38  

By the end of 2013 all sites had been designated as SACs 
under  article  4(4)  of  the  Habitats  Directive.  In  February 
2016,  285  Natura  2000  sites  had  management  plans  in 
place,  covering  54%  of  all  Natura  2000  sites  covered. 
Management plans for an additional 52 sites were under 
preparation.  Under  national  legislation,  these  plans  are 
not  obligatory  and  there 
legal  obligation  to 
implement  them.  Management  of  Natura  2000  and 
enforcement  of  nature  legislation  is  carried  out  by  10 
national park directorates, supervised by the Ministry of 
Agriculture. 

is  no 

36 The percentages in Figure 5 refer to percentages of the total number 
of assessments (one assessment covering 1 species or 1 habitat in a 
given biographical region with the Member State); if a habitat type or 
a species occurs in more than 1 Biogeographic region within a given 
Member State, there will be as many individual assessments as there 
are Biogeographic regions with an occurrence of that species or 
habitat in this Member State. 

37 For each Member State, the Commission assesses whether the 
species and habitat types on Annexes I and II of the Habitats 
Directive are sufficiently represented by the sites designated to date. 
This is expressed as a percentage of species and habitats for which 
further areas need to be designated in order to complete the 
network in that country. A scientific reserve is given when further 
research is needed to identify the most appropriate sites to be added 
for a species or habitat. The current data, which were assessed in 
2014-2015, reflect the situation up until December 2013. 

38 European Commission internal assessment. 

 Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
Hungary  10 

In  Hungary,  in  201239  only  approximately  20%  of  the 
habitat  types  and  37%  of  the  species  covered  by  the 
Habitats  Directive  had  favourable  conservation  status40 
(EU  average  is  respectively 16%  and  23%).  Furthermore, 
57%  of  the  habitat  types  are  considered  to  be 
unfavourable–inadequate  (EU27:  47%)  and  24  %  are 
unfavourable – bad (EU27: 30%). As for the species, 54 % 
were at unfavourable-inadequate (EU27: 42%) and 8% at 
unfavourable-bad status (EU27: 18%). This is depicted in 
Figure  641.  Among 
the  habitats,  grasslands  and 
freshwater habitats fared comparatively worst.  

Figure 6: Conservation status of habitats and species in 
Hungary in 2007/2013 (%)42 

Figure  7  shows  that  as  far  as  birds  are  concerned,  only 
20% of the breeding species showed long-term increasing 
or  stable  population  trends  (for  wintering  species  this 
figure  was  39%).  Intensive  agriculture  and  forestry, 
together  with  human-induced  modifications  of  natural 
conditions  (e.g.  of  water  systems)  and  invasive  alien 
species  have  been  identified  as  the  greatest  threats  to 
biodiversity in Hungary. 

39 Reporting period 2007-2012 for habitats and species covered by the 

Habitats Directive and 2008-2012 for birds. 

40 Conservation status is assessed using a standard methodology as 

being either ‘favourable’, ‘unfavourable-inadequate’ and 
‘unfavourable-bad’, based on four parameters as defined in Article 1 
of the Habitats Directive. 

41 Please note that a direct comparison between 2007 and 2013 data is 
complicated by the fact that Bulgaria and Romania were not covered 
by the 2007 reporting cycle, that the ‘unknown’ assessments have 
strongly diminished particularly for species, and that some reported 
changes are not genuine as they result from improved data / 
monitoring methods. 

42 These figures show the percentage of biogeographical assessments in 
each category of conservation status for habitats and species (one 
assessment covering 1 species or 1 habitat in a given biographical 
region with the Member State), respectively. The information is 
based on Article 17 of the Habitats Directive reporting - national 
summary of Hungary 

The  main  challenges  related  to  Natura  2000  in  Hungary 
include  ensuring  sufficient  resources  (financial  and 
human)  to  carry  out  necessary  management  and 
restoration  measures,  improving  the  knowledge  base 
(including long-term monitoring), developing institutional 
capacities  (including  site  control  and  preparation  of 
remaining  management  plans)  as  well  as  raising  public 
awareness  about  values  of  Natura  2000.  Improving 
potentially 
appropriate 
detrimental 
road  or  energy 
infrastructure) is also important.  

assessment 
to  nature 

of 
(such  as 

projects 

Figure  7:  Short-term  population  trend  of  breeding  and 
wintering bird species in Hungary in 2012 (%)43 

The  main  challenges  related  to  Natura  2000  in  Hungary 
include  ensuring  sufficient  resources  (financial  and 
human)  to  carry  out  necessary  management  and 
restoration  measures,  improving  the  knowledge  base 
(including long-term monitoring), developing institutional 
capacities  (including  site  control  and  preparation  of 
remaining  management  plans)  as  well  as  raising  public 
awareness  about  values  of  Natura  2000.  Improving 
potentially 
appropriate 
detrimental 
road  or  energy 
infrastructure) is also important.  

assessment 
to  nature 

of 
(such  as 

projects 

Suggested action 

43 Article 12 of the Birds Directive reporting - national summary of 

Hungary 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
  Ensure  that  changes  in  ownership  (the  new  private 
ownership  structure  of  the  previously  state-owned 
Natura  2000  lands)  fully  respect  the  conservation 
objectives of these sites and do not result in weakening 
their  protection  status.44  Complete  the  Natura  2000 
network  with  site-specific  conservation  measures, 
adequately 
to 
maintain/restore  species  and  habitats  of  community 
interest  to  a  favourable  conservation  status  across 
their natural range.  

resourced,  which 

able 

are 

smart  and 

  Develop  and  promote 

streamlined 
implementation  approaches,  in  particular  as  regards 
site  and  species  permitting  procedures,  ensuring  the 
necessary  knowledge  and  data  availability  and 
strengthen communication with stakeholders.  

Estimating Natural Capital  

The EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 calls on the Member 
States  to  map  and  asses  the  state  of  ecosystems  and 
their services45 in their national territory by 2014, assess 
the  economic  value  of  such  services,  and  promote  the 
integration of these values into accounting and reporting 
systems at EU and national level by 2020. 

In  order  to  safeguard  ecosystem  services  it  is  important 
to know their status and changes. Based on a large-scale 
vegetation mapping carried out between 2003 and 2006 
across the micro-regions of Hungary, the Natural Capital 
Index (NCI) was evaluated in 2008.  

Detailed  national  habitat  mapping  is  available  for  the 
majority  of  Natura  2000  sites,  including  mapping  of  the 
quality  of  natural  and  semi-natural  habitats.  A  national 

44 In 2015, Hungary launched a sales-campaign of state-owned land, 
including 30.000-35.000 ha land belonging to the Natura 2000 
network. This has prompted strong criticism by environmental NGOs 
who are concerned that the change of ownership structure will 
ultimately have negative effects on the conservation of these sites. 

45 Ecosystem services are benefits provided by nature such as food, 

materials, clean water, clean air, climate regulation, flood 
prevention, pollination and recreation on which human society 
depends. 

Hungary  11 

Energy 

initiative on the mapping and assessment of ecosystems 
is  under  preparation  within  the 
and  their  services 
Environment 
Efficiency  Operational 
and 
Programme  (EEEOP)46.  The  expected  results  of  the 
improve  understanding  of  the  state  of 
project  will 
ecosystem  services,  give  inputs  to  the  designation  and 
maintenance  of  green  infrastructure  and  contribute  to 
the 
landscape 
characteristics.  

identification  and  assessment  of 

Suggested action 

  Within the national project under preparation provide 
support  for  mapping  and  assessment  of  ecosystems 
and  their  services,  valuation  and  development  of 
natural capital accounting. 

Green Infrastructure  
The  EU  strategy  on  green  infrastructure47  promotes  the 
incorporation  of  green  infrastructure  into  related  plans 
and  programmes  to  help  overcome  fragmentation  of 
habitats  and  preserve  or  restore  ecological  connectivity, 
enhance  ecosystem  resilience  and  thereby  ensure  the 
continued provision of ecosystem services. 

Green  Infrastructure  provides  ecological,  economic  and 
social  benefits  through  natural  solutions.  It  helps  to 
understand the value of the benefits that nature provides 
to human society and to mobilise investments to sustain 
and enhance them. 

The  backbone  of  green  infrastructure  in  Hungary  is  the 
National  Ecological  Network,  which 
incorporates 
protected  areas  and  Natura  2000  sites,  complemented 
with other natural and semi-natural adjacent areas. This 
accounts  for  36%  of  the  total  area  of  the  country.  The 
zone of the National Ecological Network is entrenched in 
the  municipal  planning  of  settlements.  The  National 
in  2014  and  the 
Ecological  Network  was  updated 
National Spatial  Plan  was  amended  accordingly,  keeping 
the regulations of the zones of the ecological networks.  
The  European  Union  Strategy  for  the  Danube  Region  – 
ratified  by  Hungary  in  2011  –  includes  the  development 
of  green 
to  connect  different  bio-
geographic regions and habitats along the Danube river, 
amongst other biodiversity goals. 

infrastructure 

46 European Commission, Environmental and Energy Efficiency OP 

Hungary 

47 European Union, Green Infrastructure — Enhancing Europe’s Natural 

Capital, COM/2013/0249 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
 
 
 
                                                            
Hungary  12 

and 
implementation  of  Good  Agricultural 
The 
Environmental  Conditions  (GAEC)  in  2003  in  agricultural 
lands  of  Member  States  has  helped  to  reduce  soil  loss 
rates.  GAEC  has  contributed  in  reducing  the  overall  soil 
erosion  from  2.71  tonnes  per  hectare  per  year  to  2.46 
tonnes  per  hectare  per  year  (decrease  of  9.5 %).  The 
highest 
to  GAEC 
soil 
implementation  was  in  arable  land  (mean  reduction  of 
20.2 %). 

reduction  of 

loss  due 

There are still no EU-wide datasets enabling the provision 
of  benchmark  indicators  for  soil  organic  matter  decline, 
contaminated sites, pressures on soil biology and diffuse 
pollution.  An  updated  inventory  and  assessment  of  soil 
protection  policy  instruments  in  Hungary  and  other  EU 
Member  States  is  being  performed  by  the  EU  Expert 
Group on Soil Protection. 
Figure 8: Land Cover types in Hungary 201251 

Soil protection  

further  soil  degradation  and 

The  EU  Soil  Thematic  Strategy  highlights  the  need  to 
ensure  a  sustainable  use  of  soils.  This  requires  the 
prevention  of 
the 
preservation of its functions, as well as the restoration of 
degraded  soils.  The  2011  Road  Map  for  Resource-
Efficient  Europe,  part  of  Europe  2020  Strategy  provides 
that  by  2020,  EU  policies  take  into  account  their  direct 
and  indirect  impact  on  land  use  in  the  EU  and  globally, 
and  the  rate  of  land  take  is  on  track  with  an  aim  to 
achieve no net land take by 2050. 

SDG  15  requires  countries  to  combat  desertification, 
restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by 
desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve 
a land-degradation-neutral world by 2030. 

Soil is an important resource for life and the economy. It 
provides  key  ecosystem  services  including  the  provision 
of food, fibre and biomass for renewable energy, carbon 
sequestration,  water  purification  and  flood  regulation, 
the provision of raw and building material. Soil is a finite 
and  extremely 
increasingly 
degrading  in  the  EU.  Land  taken  by  urban  development 
and infrastructure is highly unlikely to be reverted to its 
natural  state;  it  consumes  mostly  agricultural  land  and 
increases  fragmentation  of  habitats.  Soil  protection  is 
indirectly  addressed  in  existing EU policies  in  areas  such 
as  agriculture,  water,  waste,  chemicals,  and  prevention 
of industrial pollution. 

resource  and 

fragile 

Figure 8 shows the different land cover types in Hungary 
in 2012. 

Artificial  land  cover  is  used  for  settlements,  production 
systems and infrastructure.  

The  annual  land  take  rate  (growth  of  artificial  areas)  as 
provided  by  CORINE  Land  Cover  was  0.29%  in  Hungary 
over the period 2006-12, below the EU average (0.41%). 
It  represented  1626.5 hectares  per  year and  was  mainly 
driven  by  housing,  services  and  recreation  as  well  as 
mines, quarries and dump sites48.  

The percentage of built up land in 2009 was 3.17%, close 
to the EU average (3.23%)49. The soil water erosion  rate 
in  2010  was  1.62  tonnes  per  ha  per  year,  below  EU-28 
average (2.46 tonnes)50. The numbers show that the rate 
of  eroison  is  definitely  higher  than  the  rate  of  soil 
formation.  Hungary 
is  a  country  with  a  very  high 
proportion of arable land (up to 75 % EU, average 46.7%) 
as  such  the  protection  of  soils  should  be  of  high 
importance. 

48 European Environment Agency Draft results of CORINE Land Cover 

(CLC) inventory 2012; mean annual land take 2006-12 as a % of 2006 
artificial land. 

49 European Environment Agency, 2016. Imperviousness and 

imperviousness change 

50 Eurostat, Soil water erosion rate, Figure 2, accessed November 2016 

51 European Environment Agency, Land cover 2012 and changes country 

analysis [publication forthcoming] 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
 
 
                                                            
3. Ensuring citizens' health and quality of life 

Hungary  13 

Air quality  

The  EU  Clean  Air  Policy  and  legislation  require  that  air 
quality  in  the  Union  is  significantly  improved,  moving 
closer  to  the  WHO  recommended  levels.  Air  pollution 
and its impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity should be 
further reduced with the long-term aim of not exceeding 
critical  loads  and  levels.  This  requires  strengthening 
efforts  to  reach  full  compliance  with  Union  air  quality 
legislation  and  defining  strategic  targets  and  actions 
beyond 2020. 

The  EU  has  developed  a  comprehensive  suite  of  air 
legislation52,  which  establishes  health-based 
quality 

ceilings54.  

At the same time, air quality in Hungary continues to give 
cause  for  concern.  For  the  year  2013,  the  European 
Environment  Agency  estimated  that  more  than  12  890 
premature  deaths  in  Hungary  were  attributable  to  fine 
particulate  matter55  concentrations,  more  than  460  to 
ozone56  concentration  and  more  than  390  to  nitrogen 
dioxide57 
to 
exceedances  above  the  EU  air  quality  standards,  as 
shown in Figure 959. 

concentrations58.  This 

is  due  also 

For 2014, exceedances above the EU air quality standards 
have been registered for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in two air 
quality  zones  (Budapest  and  Pécs)  and  for  particulate 

Figure 9: Attainment situation for PM10, NO2 and O3 in 2014 

that  up-to-date 

standards  and  objectives  for  a  number  of  air  pollutants. 
As  part  of  this,  Member  States  are  also  required  to 
ensure 
information  on  ambient 
concentrations  of  different  air  pollutants  is  routinely 
made  available  to  the  public.  In  addition,  the  National 
Emission  Ceilings  Directive  provides 
for  emission 
reductions  at  national  level  that  should  be  achieved  for 
main pollutants. 

The  emission  of  several  air  pollutants  has  decreased 
significantly in Hungary53. Reductions between 1990 and 
2014  for  sulphur  oxides  (-97%),  nitrogen  oxides  (-50%), 
ammonia  (-47%)  as  well  as  volatile  organic  compounds 
(-60%)  ensure  air  emissions  for  these  pollutants  are 
the  currently  applicable  national  emission 
within 

52 European Commission, 2016. Air Quality Standards 
53 See EIONET Central Data Repository and Air pollutant emissions data 

viewer (NEC Directive) 

matter  (PM10) 

in  three  air  quality  zones  (including 

54 The current national emission ceilings apply since 2010 (Directive 
2001/81/EC); revised ceilings for 2020 and 2030 have been set by 
Directive (EU) 2016/2284 on the reduction of national emissions of 
certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 2003/35/EC and 
repealing Directive 2001/81/EC. 

55 Particulate matter (PM) is a mixture of aerosol particles (solid and 
liquid) covering a wide range of sizes and chemical compositions. 
PM10 (PM2.5) refers to particles with a diameter of 10 (2.5) 
micrometres or less. PM is emitted from many anthropogenic 
sources, including both combustion and non-combustion sources. 
56 Low level ozone is produced by photochemical action and it is also a 

greenhouse gas. 

57 NOx is emitted during fuel combustion e.g. from industrial facilities 
and the road transport sector. NOx is a group of gases comprising 
nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). 

58 European Environment Agency, 2016. Air Quality in Europe – 2016 

Report. (Table 10.2, see details in this report as regards the 
underpinning methodology) 

59 Based on European Environment Agency, 2016. Air Quality in Europe 

– 2016 Report. (Figures 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1) 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
                                                            
                                                            
 
Hungary  14 

Budapest).  Furthermore,  one  air  quality  zone  has 
indicated  exceedances  regarding  fine  particulate  matter 
(PM2.5),  for  which  the  limit  value  has  become  binding 
only  in  2015.  Target  values  for  benzo(a)pyrene  are 
exceeded  in  seven  air  quality  zones.  For  several  air 
quality zones the target values and long-term objectives 
regarding ozone concentrations are also not met60. 

The  persistent  breaches  of  air  quality  requirements  (for 
PM10  and  NO2),  which  have  severe  negative  effects  on 
health  and  environment,  are  being  followed  up  by  the 
European  Commission  through  infringement  procedures 
covering  all  the  Member  States  concerned,  including 
Hungary.  The  aim  is  that  adequate  measures  are  put  in 
place  to  bring  all  zones  into  compliance.  In  response, 
Government Decree No 1330 of 12 October 2011 on the 
Cross-Sectoral  Action  Programme  for  the  Reduction  of 
PM10 was adopted and is now being implemented61.  

It is estimated that the health-related external costs from 
air  pollution  in  Hungary  are  above  EUR  5  billion/year 
(income  adjusted,  2010),  which  include  not  only  the 
intrinsic  value  of  living  a  full  health  life  but  also  direct 
costs to the economy. These direct economic costs relate 
to  3  million  workdays  lost  each  year  due  to  sickness 
related  to  air  pollution,  with  associated  costs  for 
employers  of  EUR  239  million/year  (income  adjusted, 
2010),  for  healthcare  of  above  EUR  18  million/year 
(income adjusted, 2010), and for agriculture (crop losses) 
of EUR 63 million/year (2010)62. 

Suggested action 

  Maintain  downward  emissions  trends  of  air  pollutants 
in order to achieve full compliance with air quality limit 
values  -  and  reduce  adverse  air  pollution  impacts  on 
health, environment and economy. 

  Reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to comply with 
currently applicable national emission ceilings63 and/or 
(NO2) 
(and  ozone 
to 
concentrations), 
inter  alia,  by  reducing  transport 
related emissions - in particular in urban areas. 

reduce  nitrogen  dioxide 

  Reduce PM10 emission and concentration, inter alia, by 
reducing  emissions  related  to  energy  and  heat 
generation  using  solid  fuels,  to  transport  and  to 
agriculture. 

Noise 

The  Environmental  Noise  Directive  provides  for  a 
common  approach  for  the  avoidance,  prevention  and 
reduction  of  harmful  effects  due  to  exposure  to 
environmental noise. 

Excessive  noise  is  one  of  the  main  causes  of  health 
issues64.  To alleviate  this,  the  EU  acquis  sets  out  several 
including  assessing  the  exposure  to 
requirements, 
environmental  noise  through  noise  mapping,  ensuring 
that information on environmental noise and its effects is 
made  available  to  the  public,  and  adopting  action  plans 
with  a  view  to  preventing  and  reducing  environmental 
noise  where  necessary  and  to  preserving  the  acoustic 
environment quality where it is good. 

There  have  been  delays  in  the  implementation  of  key 
obligations  under  the  Noise  Directive65  in  Hungary,  in 
particular  as  regards  the  adoption  of  noise  maps  and 
action  plans.  For  example,  as  of  January  2016,  the 
relevant  noise  map  and  action  plan  had  still  not  been 
drawn  up  for  the  Budapest  agglomeration66  and  the 
relevant  action  plans  were  also  missing  for  the  major 
roads and major railways67 located in the territory of the 
country.  

Water quality and management 

(including  surface  and  ground  waters) 

The  EU  water  policy  and  legislation  require  that  the 
impact  of  pressures  on  transitional,  coastal  and  fresh 
waters 
is 
significantly  reduced  to  achieve,  maintain  or  enhance 
good  status  of  water  bodies,  as  defined  by  the  Water 
Framework Directive; that citizens throughout the Union 
benefit from high standards for safe drinking and bathing 
water;  and  that  the  nutrient  cycle  (nitrogen  and 
phosphorus)  is  managed  in  a  more  sustainable  and 
resource-efficient way. 

SDG  6  encourages  countries  to  ensure  availability  and 
sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. 

The  main  overall  objective  of  EU  water  policy  and 
legislation  is  to  ensure  access  to  good  quality  water  in 
sufficient  quantity  for  all  Europeans.  The  EU  water 

64 WHO/JRC, 2011, Burden of disease from environmental noise, 

60 See The EEA/Eionet Air Quality Portal and the related Central Data 

Repository 

61 PM10 csökkentési program 
62 These figures are based on the Impact Assessment for the European 

Commission Integrated Clean Air Package (2013) 

63 Under the provisions of the revised National Emission Ceilings 

Directive, Member States now may apply for emission inventory 
adjustments. Pending evaluation of any adjustment application, 
Member States should keep emissions under close control with a 
view to further reductions. 

Fritschi, L., Brown, A.L., Kim, R., Schwela, D., Kephalopoulos, S. (eds), 
World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, 
Denmark 

65 The Noise Directive requires Member States to prepare and publish, 
every 5 years, noise maps and noise management action plans for 
agglomerations with more than 100,000 inhabitants, and for major 
roads, railways and airports.  

66 The relevant noise map for this agglomeration was due to be in force 
by 30 June 2012, according to the first subparagraph of Article 7(2) of 
the Directive, and the relevant action plan was due to be in force by 
18 July 2013 according to Article 8(2) of the Directive. 

67 The relevant action plans for the major roads and major railways 

were also due to be in force by 18 July 2013 according to Article 8(2) 
of the Directive. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
Hungary  15 

acquis68  seeks  to  ensure  good  status  of  all  water  bodies 
across Europe by addressing pollution sources (from e.g. 
agriculture, urban areas and industrial activities), physical 
and  hydrological modifications  to  water  bodies)  and  the 
management of risks of flooding.  

flow 

regulation  and  morphological 
management, 
alterations with 81% and 50% of water bodies affected by 
these  pressures  respectively.  Diffuse  pollution75  affects 
24% and point sources of pollution 17% of surface water 
bodies while abstraction affects only 8%.  

River  Basin  Management  Plans 
(RBMPs)  are  a 
requirement  of  the  Water  Framework  Directive  and  a 
means  of  achieving  the  protection,  improvement  and 
sustainable use of the water environment across Europe. 
This includes surface freshwaters such as lakes and rivers, 
groundwater,  estuaries  and  coastal  waters  up  to  one 
nautical mile. 

Hungary  has  provided  information  to  the  Commission 
from  its  second  generation  of  RBMPs.  However,  as  the 
Commission  has  not  yet  been  able  to  validate  this 
information  for  all  Member  States,  it  is  not  reported 
here. 
In  its  first  generation  of  RBMPs69  (RBMP1),  Hungary 
reported  the  status  of  869  rivers,  213  lakes  and  185 
groundwater  bodies.  Only  11%  of  natural  surface  water 
bodies  achieve  a  good  or  high  ecological  status70  (while 
the status of 30% is unknown) and 9% of heavily modified 
or  artificial  water  bodies71  achieve  a  good  or  high 
ecological  potential  (45%  unknown).  Only  3%  of  surface 
water bodies (95% unknown), 3% of heavily modified and 
artificial  water  bodies  (94%  unknown)  and  80%  of 
groundwater  bodies  achieve  good  chemical  status72. 
Furthermore,  85%  of  groundwater  bodies73  are  in  good 
quantitative status74. 

The main pressures on Hungarian surface waters are river 

68 This includes the Bathing Waters Directive (2006/7/EC); the Urban 

Waste Water Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC) concerning 
discharges of municipal and some industrial waste waters; the 
Drinking Water Directive (98/83/EC) concerning potable water 
quality; the Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) concerning 
water resources management; the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) 
and the Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) 

69 Commission Staff Working Document (SWD (2012)379 final)  
70 Good ecological status is defined in the Water Framework Directive, 
in terms of the quality of the biological community, the hydrological 
characteristics and the chemical characteristics. 

71 Many European river basins and waters have been altered by human 
activities, such as land drainage, flood protection and building of 
dams to create reservoirs. 

72 Good chemical status is defined in the Water Framework Directive in 
terms of compliance with all the quality standards established for 
chemical substances at European level. 

73 For groundwater, a precautionary approach has been taken that 

comprises a prohibition on direct discharges to groundwater, and a 
requirement to monitor groundwater bodies. 
74 According to the Hungarian authorities, the RBMP2 

(http://www.vizugy.hu/index.php?module=vizstrat&programelemid=
149; submitted to the Commission in 2016) evaluates altogether 
1078 surface water bodies, reducing the proportion of unknown 
ecological status down to 11%, the unknown chemical status to 
46.5%.  85.4% of the evaluated surface water bodies are in good 
status from chemical aspect. A significant improvement can be 
detected on data management and methods in the RBMP2 for 
decreasing information gap. 

The Hungarian RBMP1 has a number of deficiencies that 
result  in  uncertainties  about  the  status,  pressures  and 
effectiveness  of  the  Programme  of  Measures. 
In 
particular  there  were  weaknesses  in  monitoring  and 
methods  for  assessment  and  classification  of  the  status 
meaning  that  a  very  high  proportion  of  water  bodies 
have  unknown  status76.  A  number  of  exemptions  were 
applied without transparent justification. It was not clear 
to  what  extent  new  modifications  were  assessed 
according  to  Article  4(7)  of  the  Water  Framework 
Directive.  The  Programmes  of  Measures  do  not  fully 
address  the  implementation  gap  and  they  are  expected 
to  result  only  in  a  slight  improvement  by  1%  of  the 
ecological  status  of  natural  surface  water  bodies,  and 
artificial and heavily modified bodies77.   

rates  of  99-100% 

As  regards  drinking  water,  Hungary  reaches  very  high 
compliance 
for  microbiological 
parameters.  It  also  demonstrates  98.6%  and  97.1% 
compliance rates with chemical and indicator parameters 
laid down in the Drinking Water Directive78.  At the same 
time, the Commission is closely following up on the non-
compliance  with  other  specific  parameters  of  the 
Directive (Arsenic, Boron and Fluoride) of a large number 
of water supply zones, due to natural conditions and the 
measures taken to address these by 2018. 

As  shown  in  Figure  10,  in  2015,  in  Hungary  out  of  246 
bathing waters, 68.7 % were of excellent quality, 11.8 % 
were of good quality, 2.4 % of sufficient quality. Only one 
bathing water was of poor quality or non-compliant while 
it  was  not  possible  to  assess  the  remaining  41  bathing 
waters79. Figure 10 depicts a gradual increase in excellent 
quality of bathing waters since 2013. 

Nitrates vulnerable zones established under the Nitrates 
Directive  covered  more  than  50%  of  the  Hungarian 
territory80.  The  2008-2011  reporting  showed  that, 
overall, water quality remained relatively stable over the 
last  years  for  what  concerns  nitrate  concentrations. 

75 Diffuse pollution comes from widespread activities with no one 
discrete source, e.g. acid rain, pesticides, urban run-off, etc.   
76 More information on the implementation status and more specific 
recommendations can be found at European Commission, Water 
Framework Directive Implementation Reports 

77 According to the Hungarian authorities, the expected improvement is 

2% in case of rivers, and +3% in case of lakes until 2015. 

78 Commission's Synthesis Report on the Quality of Drinking Water in 
the Union examining Member States' reports for the 2011-2013 
period, foreseen under Article 13(5) of Directive 98/83/EC; 
COM(2016)666 

79 European Environment Agency, 2016. European bathing water quality 

in 2015, p. 26 

80 According to the Hungarian authorities, in 2016 the Nitrates 

vulnerable zones is about 70%. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
However,  nitrate  levels  and  eutrophication  are  still  a 
matter of concerns for many water bodies. 

Concerning  the  implementation  of  the  Urban  Waste 
Water  Treatment  Directive,  the  final  deadline  set  in 
Hungary's  Accession  Treaty  to  reach  compliance  was  31 
December  2015.  However,  following  an  agreement 
between  Hungary  and  Romania,  Hungary  decided  to 
apply more stringent treatment of waste water based on 
Article 5(4) of the Directive, over its whole territory by 31 
December  2018.  For  the  moment,  the  requirements 
regarding  more  stringent  treatment  only  apply  in  the 
three areas designated as sensitive in 2004. However, as 
of  2018  Hungary  needs  to  ensure a  reduction  of 75% of 
the  load  entering  treatment  plants  for  nitrogen  and 
phosphorus,  over  its  whole  territory.  According  to  the 
latest  data  available  (2014)  the  percentage  of  reduction 
of  the  load  entering  treatment  plants  was  80,23  %  for 
nitrogen and 83,46 % for phosphorus by the end of 2014. 

Out  of  34  countries  worldwide,  Hungary  is  ranked  32nd 
for use of renewable water sources81. Water resources in 
Hungary  show  regional  and  seasonal  limitations,  which 
may  escalate  with  climate  change  (causing  also  changes 
in water consumption patterns). Urban heat waves are a 
specified  vulnerability  for  Hungary  that  could  have  a 
direct  connection  to  water  utilities.  Better  management 
of  precipitation  with  the  creation  of  storage  facilities  to 
meet non-drinking water needs are envisaged to reduce 
this vulnerability. 
Figure 10: Bathing water quality 2012 – 201582 

Hungary  16 

to  the  volume  of  extraction.  Shallow subsurface  sources 
are often  polluted,  especially  from  agricultural sources83 
and  from  the  settlements  which  have  had  no  waste 
water  collecting  system  until  recently 
(communal 
sources).  

In  the  RBMP1  Hungary  considered  water  services  only 
those  delivered  by  water  providers.  Environmental  and 
resource costs, including those generated by diffuse and 
point  sources,  have  not  been  calculated  but  they  are 
claimed to be internalised via existing policy instruments 
(waste  water  charges,  water  abstraction  charges). 
Moreover,  water  and  sewerage  tariffs  were  frozen  in 
2012  and  were  decreased  by  law  in  2013.  In  the 
Environment 
Efficiency  Operational 
Programme  (EEEOP)  2014-2084,  an  action  plan  has  been 
proposed  in  order  to  review  the  water  pricing  policy  to 
reflect  cost  recovery  obligations  under  the  Water 
Framework  Directive.  A  modified  tariff  methodology  is 
currently under development. 
A 2016 study85 suggests that increasing the existing water 
abstraction  fees,  and  introducing  an  additional  tax  on 
water  abstracted  for  agricultural  uses,  would  further 
improve efficiency in the usage of water. 

Energy 

and 

Hungary is hit regularly by flooding incidents, and is likely 
to experience large flood damages and increased relative 
economic impacts by the end of this century. Significant 
benefits  have  been 
from 
identified 
upgrading  protection  levels  to  the  future 100-year  flood 
event 
and 
prevention  of  floods  is  an  area  where  potentially  more 
economical  nature-based 
improve 
reducing  costs86  and 
through 
resource  efficiency 
delivering multiple benefits87.  

scenario).  Management 

solutions  could 

for  Hungary 

(adaptation 

Green  Infrastructure  is  part  of  the  response  and  should 
be  maintained,  improved  and  restored.  The  Hungarian 
Partnership  Agreement  (PA)  provides  references  to 
natural  water 
retention  measures,  nature-based 
solutions  and  Green  Infrastructure  (habitat  protection 

83 Water and wastewater services in the Danube Region, World Bank, 

May 2015. 

84 European Commission, Environmental and Energy Efficiency OP 

Hungary, p.168-169. 

85 Eunomia Research and Consulting, IEEP, Aarhus University, ENT, 

2016. Study on Assessing the Environmental Fiscal Reform Potential 
for the EU28 

86 It is estimated that between 2002 and 2013, for the 10 floods 

recorded the total direct costs were €2,700 million. RPA Risk and 
Policy Analysts, 2014. Study on Economic and Social Benefits of 
Environmental Protection and Resource Efficiency related to the 
European Semester; (damages only found for 5 out of 10 floods, 
damages extrapolated across all 10 floods). The average cost per 
flood was €270 million (based on those floods that are sufficient to 
exceed the threshold for inclusion in the EM-DAT database). 
87 RPA Risk and Policy Analysts, 2014. Study on Economic and Social 

Benefits of Environmental Protection and Resource Efficiency related 
to the European Semester, Annex I Country fiches 

The  river  bank-filtered  resources  are  generally  of  good 
quality  and  quantity.  However,  they  are  dependent  on 
river  morphology  developments.  Subsurface  water 
resources are the key source of drinking water supply (up 
to 95%). There are local resource constraints with respect 

81 Christian Kroll, 2015. Sustainable Development Goals: Are the rich 

countries ready? p.33. 

82 European Environment Agency, 2016. State of bathing water country 

report Hungary 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
and ecosystem - floodplains - restoration)88. According to 
the PA, the magnitude of the flood risk areas and inland 
waters  is  close  to  50%  of  the  country's  territory.  The 
flood  measures  protect  national  wealth  responsible  for 
about one-third of GDP. In the EEEOP 2014-20, Hungary 
is planning to invest in improving the conditions required 
for the sustainable management of water resources and 
improving  the  conditions  of  protection  against  damages 
of floods.   

Hungary  17 

Europe is a Union of cities and towns; around 75% of the 
EU  population  are  living  in  urban  areas.90  The  urban 
environment  poses  particular  challenges 
the 
environment  and  human  health,  whilst  also  providing 
opportunities and efficiency gains in the use of resources.  

for 

The Vásárhelyi Plan which provided a national framework 
for the flood management investments in Hungary since 
1999, was revised in October 200389. The principle of the 
is  for  potentially  damaging 
revised  Vásárhelyi  Plan 
surplus floodwater to be diverted - in a controlled way - 
into  retention  reservoirs  constructed  along  the  river, 
precisely  for  this  purpose.  However,  the  currently 
implementing 
is 
observed  focus,  which 
individual  EU-funded  projects  and  to  classical  flood 
protection  measures, 
the 
comprehensiveness  of  the  programme  in  the  longer 
term. Cohesion Policy cannot finance the entire scope of 
the  revised  Vásárhelyi  Plan,  in  particular  the  specific 
agricultural  subsidy  schemes  necessary  to  support  the 
desired  management 
so 
of 
complementary national funds will be needed. 

floodplains, 

limited  to 

undermine 

could 

and 

Suggested action 

  Build  up  the  necessary 

infrastructure  to  achieve 
compliance  with  the  Drinking  Water  Directive  and  the 
Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. 

  Improve monitoring and status assessment so that the 
Programme  of  Measures  reliably  addresses  all  the 
relevant pressures and implementation gaps. Measures 
should be properly financed. 

  Assess  properly  new  modifications  of  water  bodies 
according  to  Article  4(7)  of  the  Water  Framework 
Directive. 

  Implement  an  efficient  tariff  policy  to  ensure  cost 

recovery. 

  Focus  on  nature-based  retention  measures  when 

implementing flood protection projects. 

Enhancing the sustainability of cities 

The  EU  Policy  on  the  urban  environment  encourages 
implement  policies  for  sustainable  urban 
cities  to 
planning and design, including innovative approaches for 
urban  public 
sustainable 
buildings,  energy  efficiency  and  urban  biodiversity 
conservation.  

transport  and  mobility, 

SDG11  aims  at  making  cities  and  human  settlements 
inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. 

88 Partnership Agreement of Hungary for the 2014–2020 programming 

period p. 33-35, 87. 
89 Act No LXVII of 2004 

 The  Member  States,  European  institutions,  cities  and 
stakeholders have prepared a new Urban Agenda for the 
EU  (incorporating  the  Smart  Cities  initiative)  to  tackle 
these  issues  in  a  comprehensive  way,  including  their 
connections with social and economic challenges. At the 
heart  of  this  Urban  Agenda  will  be  the  development  of 
twelve  partnerships  on  the  identified  urban  challenges, 
including air quality and housing91.  

The  European  Commission  will 
benchmark system in 201792. 

launch  a  new  EU 

The  EU  stimulates  green  cities  through  awards  and 
funding,  such  as  the  EU  Green  Capital  Award  aimed  at 
cities  with  more  than  100,000  inhabitants  and  the  EU 
Green  Leaf  initiative  aimed  at  cities  and  towns,  with 
between 20,000 and 100,000 inhabitants. The city of Pécs 
(with  150,000  inhabitants)  figures  among  the  applicant 
cities for the European Green Capital Award 2017. 

Hungary  has  allocated  EUR  537.84  million  (5%  of  its 
allocation  under  the  European  Regional  Development 
Fund),  excluding  technical  assistance,  to  sustainable 
urban development. 

Sustainability  of  urban  areas  is  dependent  on  bringing 
pollution  under  control,  of  which  air  and  water  are  the 

90 European Environment Agency, Urban environment 
91 http://urbanagendaforthe.eu/ 
92 The Commission is developing an Urban Benchmarking and 

Monitoring ('UBaM') tool to be launched in 2017. Best practices 
emerge and these will be better disseminated via the app featuring 
the UBaM tool, and increasingly via e.g. EUROCITIES, ICLEI, CEMR, 
Committee of the Regions, Covenant of Mayors and others. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
most  relevant  in  case  of  Hungary.  In  2012,  road  traffic 
was  responsible  for  41%  of  the  NOX  emissions,  and 
particulate matter (PM) emissions from traffic are also a 
concern.  Hungary  had  55%  of  the  urban  population 
resident  in  areas  exposed  to  PM10  concentrations  over 
the  daily  limit  value,  substantially  worse  than  the  EU 
average  of  21.5%93,94.  The  latest  available  data  (2011) 
showed that collection of waste water was ensured in all 
agglomerations, but adequate treatment of waste water 
collected  was 
the  urban 
agglomerations95.  

in  16%  of 

still  due 

Hungary  18 

implementation,  including  within  the  Union,  as  well  as 
in  related  negotiations  and 
the  Union’s  credibility 
international  meetings  where 
the 
participation of third countries to such agreements is an 
established  EU  policy  objective.  In  agreements  where 
voting takes place it has a direct impact on the number of 
votes to be cast by the EU. 

supporting 

Hungary is performing as one of the best in the EU with 
regard to signing and ratifying such agreements. 

in  other  Hungarian  cities,  new 
In  Budapest  and 
in  recent  years  have 
construction  projects  started 
destroyed  too  many  full  grown  trees.  Even  if  new  trees 
are planted to replace them, it will take several decades 
before  they  offer  the  same  ecosystem  services  (e.g. 
filtering  and  cooling  the  air)  as  the  ones  that  were  cut. 
The  unauthorised  cutting  of  trees  is  also  widespread. 
Green  areas  tend  to  be  replaced  by  underground 
installations  (e.g.  parkings)  with  a  thin  layer  of  soil  and 
with  buildings  with  green  roofs,  again  resulting  in  a 
reduction  of  ecosystem  services.  Better  urban  planning 
and  stricter  enforcement  are  needed  that  focus  on  the 
preservation of trees and green areas. 

International agreements  

The  EU  Treaties  require  that  the  Union  policy  on  the 
environment  promotes  measures  at  the  international 
level  to  deal  with  regional  or  worldwide  environmental 
problems. 

Most  environmental  problems  have  a  transboundary 
nature  and  often  a  global  scope  and  they  can  only  be 
addressed effectively through international co-operation. 
International  environmental  agreements  concluded  by 
the Union are binding upon the institutions of the Union 
and  on  its Member  States. This  requires  the  EU and the 
Member  States  to  sign,  ratify  and  effectively  implement 
all  relevant  multilateral  environmental  agreements 
(MEAs) in a timely manner. This will also be an important 
contribution  towards  the  achievement  of  the  SDGs, 
which Member States committed to in 2015 and include 
many  commitments  contained  already  in  legally  binding 
agreements. 

The  fact  that  some  Member  States  did  not  sign  and/or 
ratify  a  number  of  MEAs  compromises  environmental 

93 European Environment Agency, 2015. Air Quality in Europe – 2015 

Report. EEA Report 5/2014, table 4.4, p.55 

94 The Hungarian Government announced in September 2016 plans to 
spread electric cars and develop the e-charging infrastructure in 
Hungary. It would contribute to the achievement of the clean city 
aims, according to the Jedlik Ányos Plan. 

95 European Commission, Eighth Report on the Implementation Status 
and the Programmes for Implementation of the Urban Waste Water 
Directive (COM (2016)105 final) and Commission Staff Working 
Document accompanying the report (SWD(2016)45 final). 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
Part II: Enabling Framework: Implementation Tools 

4. Market based instruments and investment  

Hungary  19 

Green taxation and environmentally harmful 
subsidies 

The Circular Economy Action Plan encourages the use of 
financial  incentives  and  economic  instruments,  such  as 
taxation  to  ensure  that  product  prices  better  reflect 
environmental costs. The phasing out of environmentally 
harmful  subsidies  is  monitored  in  the  context  of  the 
European  Semester  and  in  national  reform  programmes 
submitted by Member States. 

Taxing pollution and resource use can generate increased 
revenue  and  bring  important  social  and  environmental 
benefits. 

Hungary  has  environmental  tax  revenues  amounting  to 
2.6%  of  GDP  in  2014  (slightly  above  the  EU28  average: 
2.46%)96.  In  the  same  year,  environmental  tax  revenue 
accounts  for  6.79%  of  total  revenues  from  taxes  and 
social  contributions  in  the  same  year  (EU28  average: 
6.35%) as shown in Figure 11.  

Hungary  figures  amongst  the  five  Member  States  that 
have  introduced  or  increased  taxes  on  pollution  and 
resources.97 In particular, a landfill tax for non-hazardous 
waste was introduced in 2013 with a rate of EUR10/t98. 

Despite  persistently  low  energy  prices,  Hungary  is  not 
levying  excise  duties  on  the  supply  of  energy  and 
electricity  to  non-business  customers.  The  excise  duty 
regulation  changed  from  September  201699  and  excise 
duty  on  petrol,  diesel  and  petroleum  (which  earlier  was 
fixed barely over the minimum rate, among the lowest in 
the  EU) had been  directly  linked to  global  price  of oil.  If 
global price of oil stays above USD 50, the excise duty on 
petrol,  diesel  and  petroleum  unchanged  and  fuel  taxed 
with  original  tax  rate  (valid  before  September  2016). 
Excise duty rate increase on fuel by HUF 10 for diesel and 
HUF 5 for petrol and petroleum if the global price of oil 
reach or drops under threshold. 

Hungary does not fully exploit the economic instruments, 
although recently there have been a number of increases 
in the field of environmental taxation100.  

The  Hungarian  tax  system  is  still  characterised  by  some 
environmentally  harmful  subsidies  (EHSs),  including  the 
favourable  tax  treatment  of  personal  use  of  company 

96 Eurostat, Environmental tax revenues, accessed June 2016 
97 European Commission, 2015. Tax Reforms in EU Member States 2015, 

Institutional Paper 008 Sept. 2015, pp.18-19.  

98 It was supposed to increase to EUR40/t by 2016, but tariffs were 

frozen by the Government in 2012. 
99 Act LXVIII of 2016 on the excise duties 
100 E.g. environmental product fees were raised on a number of 

cars101.  The  motor  vehicle  tax,  characterised  by  a 
shrinking  rate  according  to  age  of  the  vehicle,  is  clearly 
not based on environmental factors. 

Figure  11:  Environmental  tax  revenues  as  a  share  of 
total  revenues  from  taxes  and  social  contributions 
(excluding imputed social contributions) in 2014102 

In  this  context,  a  2016  study  suggests  that  there  is 
considerable  potential  for  shifting  taxes  from  labour  to 
taxes103.  Under  a  good  practice 
environmental 
scenario104, these could generate an additional EUR 0.65 
billion in 2018, rising to EUR 1.21 billion in 2030 (both in 

101 The annual motor vehicle tax is deductible from the company car tax 
102 Eurostat, Environmental tax revenues, accessed October 2016 
103 Eunomia Research and Consulting, IEEP, Aarhus University, ENT, 

2016. Study on Assessing the Environmental Fiscal Reform Potential 
for the EU28. N.B. National governments are responsible for setting 
tax rates within the EU Single Market rules and this report is not 
suggesting concrete changes as to the level of environmental 
taxation. It merely presents the findings of the 2016 study by 
Eunomia et al on the potential benefits various environmental taxes 
could bring. It is then for the national authorities to assess this study 
and their concrete impacts in the national context. A first step in this 
respect, already done by a number of Member States, is to set up 
expert groups to assess these and make specific proposals. 
104 The good practice scenario means benchmarking to a successful 

products (see in Chapter I/1, in the section on waste management). 

taxation practice in another Member State. 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
                                                            
 
                                                            
real  2015  terms).  This  is  equivalent  to  0.56%  and  0.80% 
of  GDP  in  2018  and  2030  respectively.  The  2016  study 
shows  the  largest  potential  source  of  revenue  would 
come from the suggested increase in vehicle (circulation) 
taxes,  generating  EUR  0.46  billion  in  2030  (real  2015 
terms),  equivalent  to  0.30%  of  GDP.  The  next  largest 
contribution  to  revenue  comes  from  the  proposed 
pesticides tax. This accounts for EUR 0.19 billion in 2030 
(real 2015 terms), equivalent to 0.13% of GDP.  

Green Public Procurement  

The  EU  green  public  procurement  policies  encourage 
Member States to take further steps to reach the target 
of applying green procurement criteria to at least 50% of 
public tenders. 
Green  Public  Procurement  (GPP)  is  a  process  whereby 
public  authorities  seek  to  procure  goods,  services  and 
works  with  a  reduced  environmental  impact  throughout 
their  life-cycle  when  compared  to  goods,  services  and 
works  with  the  same  primary  function  that  would 
otherwise be procured.  

The  purchasing  power  of  public  procurement  equals  to 
approximately  14%  of  GDP105.  A  substantial  part  of  this 
money  is  spent  on  sectors  with  high  environmental 
impact such as construction or transport, so GPP can help 
to  significantly  lower  the  impact  of  public  spending  and 
foster 
The 
innovative 
Commission has proposed EU GPP criteria106. 

businesses. 

sustainable 

Hungary has not yet adopted the National Action Plan for 
GPP.  
According  to  a  2010  study107,  the  share  of  Hungarian 
authorities  that  included  GPP  requirements  in  50%  to 
100%  of  their  contracts  was  estimated  at  between  10-
20%. 

Investments: the contribution of EU funds  

European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds  Regulations 
provide  that  Member  States  promote  environment  and 
funding  strategies  and 
climate  objectives 
programmes 
territorial 
cohesion,  rural  development  and  maritime  policy,  and 
reinforce the capacity of implementing bodies to deliver 
cost-effective and sustainable investments in these areas. 

in  their 
for  economic, 

social  and 

Hungary  20 

Investment  Funds  (ESIF)108  is  essential  to  achieve  the 
environmental goals and integrate these into other policy 
areas.  Other  instruments  such  as  the  Horizon  2020,  the 
LIFE  programme  and  the  EFSI109  may  also  support 
implementation and spread of best practice. 

The  global  budget  allocation  for  Cohesion  Policy  for  the 
2014-2020  period  is  EUR  21.5  billion.  Hungary  also 
receives EUR 3.45 billion for rural development (from the 
European  Agricultural  Fund  for  Rural  Development, 
EAFRD)  and  EUR  39.1  million  for  the  fisheries  sector 
(from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, EMFF), 
see Figure 12.  

There  are  seven  multi-fund  (ERDF,  CF,  ESF)  Operational 
Programmes  (OP)  having  national  coverage  (with  the 
exception  of  one  covering  only  the  more  developed 
central region110), and one OP under the EAFRD and the 
EMFF  each.  The  biggest  programme  is  the  Economic 
Development and Innovation OP (co-funded by ERDF, ESF 
and Youth Employment Initiative, YEI) with the allocation 
of EUR 7.73 billion EU fund.  

An amount of EUR 3 billion is foreseen for environmental 
investment  in  the  2014-20  period,  which  represents 
13.9%  of  the  total  allocation  under  the  Cohesion  Policy. 
The  environmental  priorities  are  included  in  the  EEEOP 
(EUR  3.22  billion  from  ERDF  and  CF).  Hungary  envisages 
co-financing  flood  protection  and  climate  adaptation, 
infrastructure 
in  the  water,  wastewater  and  waste 
sectors, improvement of nature protection, and increase 
of  energy  efficiency.  Projects  aimed  specifically  at 
improving air quality are not included.  

The  EAFRD  part  of  the  national  Rural  Development 
Program  (RDP)  of  Hungary  amounts  to  EUR  3.45  billion. 
Hungary  has  used  the  possibility  to  transfer  funds  from 
Pillar II (EAFRD) to Pillar I (direct payments) at the level of 
15% 
for  agri-
environmental-climate  measure  represents  15%  of  the 
total EAFRD budget.  

(for  years  2016-20).  The  budget 

in  RDP 

As  regards  water  management,  support 
is 
channelled  to  support  irrigation  investments,  with  a  5% 
or  10%  minimum  potential  water  savings. 
  Water 
metering systems need to become part of the investment 
supported, if this is not already in place. Hungary plans to 
support  natural  water-retention  measures  with  the 
EAFRD and RDP. 

Making  good  use  of  the  European  Structural  and 

Concerning  the  ex-ante  conditionalities,  the  specific  one 

105 European Commission, 2015. Green public procurement 
106 In the Communication “Public procurement for a better 

environment” (COM /2008/400) the Commission recommended the 
creation of a process for setting common GPP criteria. The basic 
concept of GPP relies on having clear, verifiable, justifiable and 
ambitious environmental criteria for products and services, based on 
a life-cycle approach and scientific evidence base. 

107 Adelphi et al, Strategic Use of Public Procurement in Europe' (2011)  

108 ESIF comprises five funds – the European Regional Development 
Funds (ERDF), the Cohesion Fund (CF), the European Social Fund 
(ESF), the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development 
(EAFRD), and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). The 
ERDF, the CF and the ESF together form the Cohesion Policy funds. 

109 European Investment Bank, 2016 European Fund for Strategic 

Investments 

110 Central Hungary region (including Budapest) is classified as a "more 

developed region", all the other regions are "less developed". 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
                                                            
on  water  is  considered  as  partially  fulfilled  as  both  the 
RBMP  and  the  water  pricing  policy  have  shortcomings. 
Therefore an Action Plan addressing these was submitted 
to the Commission. 

Figure  12:  European  Structural  and  Investment  Funds 
2014-2020: Budget Hungary by theme, EUR billion111 

Hungary  21 

It is too early to draw conclusions as regards the use and 
results  of  ESIF  funds  for  the  period  2014-20,  as  the 
relevant  programmes  are  still  in  an  early  stage  of  their 
implementation.  

Current  data  suggest  that  the  overall  use  of  cohesion 
policy  funds  for  the  2007-2013  period  are  already  close 
to 92%.112  

Governmental  resources  to  support  NGOs  active  on 
environmental issues have reportedly decreased over the 
last few years. In this context, the  Hungarian authorities 
could  more  actively  support  interested  organizations  to 
apply  for  and  implement  LIFE  integrated  projects  of 
common interest. 

111 European Commission, European Structural and Investment Funds 

Data By Country 

112 Final data for the period 2007-2013 will only be available at the end 

of 2017.   

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5. Effective governance and knowledge  

Hungary  22 

SDG  16  aims  at  providing  access  to  justice  and  building 
effective,  accountable  and  inclusive  institutions  at  all 
levels. SDG 17 aims at better implementation, improving 
policy  coordination  and  policy  coherence,  stimulating 
science, 
innovation,  establishing 
partnerships and developing measurements of progress. 

technology 

and 

Capacity to implement rules 

is 

that 

crucial 

regional  and 

local 
central, 
It 
administrations  have  the  necessary  capacities  and  skills 
and training to carry out their own tasks and co-operate 
and  co-ordinate  effectively  with  each  other,  within  a 
system of multi-level governance. 

Hungary  performs  below  the  EU  average  regarding  fast-
changing  legislation,  the  complexity  of  administrative 
procedures  and  e-government  services  for  businesses. 
The  World Bank  2015 Worldwide  Governance  Indicators 
show  that  the  governance  score  of  Hungary  for  the 
regulatory quality indicator is below the EU average and 
has deteriorated since 2006114.  

The  2013  European  Quality  of  Government  Index  puts 
Hungary in 21st place out of the 28 Member States115.  

Effective governance of EU environmental legislation and 
policies  requires  having  an  appropriate 
institutional 
framework,  policy  coherence  and  coordination,  applying 
legal  and  non-legal  instruments,  engaging  with  non-
governmental  stakeholders,  and  having  adequate  levels 
of  knowledge  and  skills113.  Successful  implementation 
depends, to a large extent, on central, regional and local 
government  fulfilling  key  legislative  and  administrative 
tasks,  notably  adoption  of 
implementing 
legislation,  co-ordinated  action  to  meet  environmental 
objectives  and  correct  decision-making  on  matters  such 
as  industrial  permits.  Beyond  fulfilment  of  these  tasks, 
governments  must 
intervene  to  ensure  day-to-day 
compliance  by  economic  operators,  utilities  and 
individuals  ("compliance  assurance").  Civil  society  also 
has  a  role  to  play,  including  through  legal  action.  To 
underpin the roles of all actors, it is crucial to collect and 
share  knowledge  and  evidence  on  the  state  of  the 
environment  and  on  environmental  pressures,  drivers 
and impacts. 

sound 

Equally,  effective  governance  of  EU  environmental 
legislation  and  policies  benefits  from  a  dialogue  within 
Member  States  and  between  Member  States  and  the 
Commission  on  whether  the  current  EU  environmental 
legislation  is  fit  for  purpose.  Legislation  can  only  be 
properly 
into  account 
experiences  at  Member  State  level  with  putting  EU 
commitments  into  effect.  The  Make  it  Work  initiative,  a 
Member  State  driven  project,  established 
in  2014, 
organizes a discussion on how the clarity, coherence and 
structure  of  EU  environmental 
legislation  can  be 
improved without lowering existing protection standards. 

implemented  when 

it  takes 

Effective governance within central, regional 
and local government 

Those  involved  in  implementing  environment  legislation 
at  Union,  national,  regional  and  local  levels  need  to  be 
equipped  with  the  knowledge,  tools  and  capacity  to 
improve  the  delivery  of  benefits  from  that  legislation, 
and the governance of the enforcement process. 

113 The Commission has work ongoing to improve the country-specific 
knowledge about quality and functioning of the administrative 
systems of Member States. 

Impact  assessments  are 
environmental integration in all government policies.116  

important  tools  to  ensure 

Consultations  on  draft  legislation  tend  to  be  non-public, 
informal  and  take  place  with  selected  stakeholders,  and 
there  are  no  publicly  available 
impact  assessments 
underpinning legislation. For instance, on average only 46 
days elapsed between the adoption of a draft law and its 
publication in the official journal (Magyar Közlöny), which 
does  not  allow  a  proper  public  discussion  and  does  not 
give  enough  preparation  time  for  the  affected  parties. 
limited;  the  median 
Public  consultations  remained 
number of days open for consultation was only 5 days in 

114 The governance score denotes the estimate of governance measured 
on a scale from approximately -2.5 to 2.5. Higher values correspond 
to better governance. Hungary scored 1.21 in 2006 and 0.77 in 2014. 
The EU average was 1.17 in 2014.   

115 Charron N., 2013. European Quality of Government Index (EQI) 
116 Article 11 of the TFEU provides that "Environmental protection 

requirements must be integrated into the definition and 
implementation of the Union's policies and activities, in particular 
with a view to promoting sustainable development." 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
 
 
                                                            
 
 
 
                                                            
Hungary  23 

2014 and 3.5 days in 2015117.  

regards  environmental 

As 
impact  assessments  of 
projects,  Hungary  has  relied  on  several  occasions  on  a 
special  procedure,  called  environmental  performance 
evaluation118,  which  provides  an  ex  post  assessment  of 
an existing or ongoing project, instead of carrying out an 
impact  assessment  before  the  project  is  authorised  and 
integrate  properly  the  environmental  concerns  in  the 
development consent. 

Suggested action 

  Ensure increased partnership and transparency all over 
the  public  administration  and  strengthen  public 
participation 
to 
environmental matters.  

decision-making 

relating 

in 

  Make  greater  use  of  impact  assessments  of  draft 
in  particular  environmental 

legislation,  covering 
impacts. 

Coordination and integration 

Hungary  has  a  National  Sustainable  Development 
Strategy Framework (2012-2024) since March 2013119.  

the  Ministry, 

the  State  Secretariat 

The  primary  responsibility  for  environmental  issues  and 
for  the 
implementation  of  most  EU  environmental 
legislation  is  delegated  to  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture. 
Within 
for 
Environmental  affairs,  agricultural  development  and 
Hungaricums  (specific  national  products)  is  the  central 
governing body for environmental protection and nature 
conservation.  The  task  of  the  State  Secretariat  is  the 
promotion of sustainable development, the preservation 
of  air  and  soil  quality,  and  the  protection  of  natural 
assets. 

The  fragmented  governance  of  environmental  topics 
among  the  various  ministries  may  further  reduce  the 
effectiveness  of  the  measures.  This  may  be  particularly 
evidenced  by  the  fact  that  the  Ministry  for  National 
Economy  bears  responsibility  for  the  implementation  of 
the  circular  economy  package;  the  Ministry  of  National 
Development  -  for  environmental  technologies,  for  the 
designation of the public waste management services fee 
and for energy efficiency; the Ministry of Agriculture - for 
waste  management,  and  the  Ministry  of  Interior  -  for 
water management and for water protection.  

From 1 April 2015, the regional Environment and Nature 
Protection 
into  County 
Government  Offices.  Their  environmental  tasks  are 

Inspectorates  were  merged 

117 Corvinus University, Corruption Research Center, Budapest, 2016. 

'The Quality of Hungarian Legislation 2015'.  

118 As laid down in Article 77 of Act No. LIII of 1995 on Environmental 

Protection. 

119 18/2013. (III. 28.) OGY határozat a Nemzeti Fenntartható Fejlődés 
Keretstratégiáról; National Framework Strategy on Sustainable 
Development of Hungary 

the 

that 

irrespective  of 

coordinated and controlled by the National Inspectorate 
for  Environment  and  Nature  Protection  as  a  second 
instance  authority.  From  1  January  2017,  the  National 
Inspectorate  will  also  be  merged  into  the  Government 
in 
Offices  as  regards  environmental  administration 
general,  and  into  the  Agriculture  Ministry  as  regards 
waste  management  issues in  particular.  It  is  essential  to 
ensure 
formula  chosen, 
environmental impacts of projects or policy decisions are 
fully  and  effectively  taken  into  account  in  any  relevant 
consent procedures120.   
The transposition of the revised EIA Directive121 will be an 
opportunity  to  streamline  the  regulatory  framework  on 
environmental assessments. The Commission encourages 
the  streamlining  of  the  environmental  assessments  to 
avoid  overlaps 
in  environmental  assessments  and 
accelerate  decision-making,  without  compromising  the 
quality of the environmental assessment procedure. The 
Commission  has  issued  a  guidance  document  in  2016122 
regarding  the  setting  up  of  coordinated  and/or  joint 
to 
procedures 
assessments  under  the  EIA  Directive,  Habitats  Directive, 
Water Framework Directive, and the Industrial Emissions 
Directive. 

simultaneously 

that  are 

subject 

Suggested action 

  Address  the  fragmented  governance  of  environmental 
integration  of  environmental 

topics  and 
aspects into other policies. 

increase 

  Establish  a  clear  and  transparent  process  for  the 
authorization  of  activities  and  facilities  that  have 
impact on the environment. 

Compliance assurance 

EU  law  generally  and  specific  provisions  on  inspections, 
other  checks,  penalties  and  environmental  liability  help 
lay  the  basis  for  the  systems  Member  States  need  to 
have 
secure  compliance  with  EU 
to 
environmental rules. 

in  place 

Public  authorities  help  ensure  accountability  of  duty-
holders by monitoring and promoting compliance and by 
taking credible follow-up action (i.e. enforcement) when 
breaches occur or liabilities arise. Compliance monitoring 
initiative  of  authorities 
can  be  done  both  on  the 
themselves  and  in  response to  citizen complaints. It  can 
including 
involve  using  various  kinds  of  checks, 

120 While the restructuring of the environmental administration system 
may in principle lead to better integration of the environmental 
concerns, it has been criticised as prone to weaken environmental 
protection. 

121 The transposition of Directive 2014/52/EU is due in May 2017. 
122 European Commission, 2016. Commission notice — Commission 
guidance document on streamlining environmental assessments 
conducted under Article 2(3) of the Environmental Impact 
Assessment Directive (Directive 2011/92/EU of the European 
Parliament and of the Council, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU). 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
                                                            
                                                            
inspections  for  permitted  activities,  surveillance  for 
possible  illegal  activities,  investigations  for  crimes  and 
audits for systemic weaknesses. Similarly, there is a range 
of  means  to  promote  compliance,  including  awareness-
raising  campaigns  and  use  of  guidance  documents  and 
online  information  tools.  Follow-up  to  breaches  and 
liabilities  can 
(e.g. 
withdrawal of a permit), use of criminal law123 and action 
law  (e.g.  required  remediation  after 
under 
damage  from  an  accident  using 
liability  rules)  and 
contractual  law  (e.g.  measures  to  require  compliance 
with  nature  conservation  contracts).  Taken  together,  all 
of these interventions represent "compliance assurance" 
as shown in Figure 13. 

include  administrative  action 

liability 

Figure 13: Environmental compliance assurance 

Best  practice  has  moved  towards  a  risk-based  approach 
at strategic and operational levels in which the best mix 
of compliance monitoring, promotion and enforcement is 
directed at the most serious problems. Best practice also 
recognises  the  need  for  coordination  and  cooperation 
between  different  authorities  to  ensure  consistency, 
avoid  duplication  of  work  and  reduce  administrative 
burden. Active participation in established pan-European 
networks  of  inspectors,  police,  prosecutors  and  judges, 
such as IMPEL124, EUFJE125, ENPE126 and EnviCrimeNet127, 
is  a  valuable  tool  for  sharing  experience  and  good 
practices. 

Currently, there exist a number of sectoral obligations on 
inspections  and  the  EU  directive  on  environmental 
liability  (ELD)128  provides  a  means  of  ensuring  that  the 
"polluter  pays  principle"  is  applied  when  there  are 
accidents  and  incidents  that  harm  the  environment. 
There is also publicly available information giving insights 
into  existing  strengths  and  weaknesses  in  each  Member 

123 European Union, Environmental Crime Directive 2008/99/EC  
124 European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement 

of Environmental Law  

125 European Union Forum of judges for the environment 
126 The European Network of Prosecutors for the Environment  
127 EnviCrimeNet 
128 European Union, Environmental Liability Directive 2004/35/CE 

Hungary  24 

State.  

For  each  Member  State,  the  following  were  therefore 
reviewed:  use  of  risk-based  compliance  assurance; 
coordination  and  co-operation  between  authorities  and 
participation in pan-European networks; and key aspects 
of implementation of the ELD based on the Commission's 
recently  published  implementation  report  and  REFIT 
evaluation.129  

Over  the  last  decade,  Hungary  has  made  efforts  to 
improve  its  system  of  inspections  of  industrial  facilities. 
Some 
relevant  data  collection  and  analysis  are 
undertaken  and  annual  activity  reports  are  prepared. 
Some  basic  risk  criteria  are  used  for  planning  and 
targeting of inspection work130.  

 

Up-to-date  information  is  lacking  in  relation  to  the 
following: 
  data-collection  arrangements  to  track  the  use  and 
effectiveness  of  different  compliance  assurance 
interventions; 
the extent to which risk-based methods are used to 
direct  compliance  assurance  at  the  strategic  level 
and 
in  relation  to  critical  activities  outside  of 
industrial  installations,  especially  specific  problem-
areas  highlighted  elsewhere  in  this  Country  Report, 
i.e.  the  threats  to  protected  habitat  types  and 
species, poor air quality and the pressures on water 
quality from diffuse and point sources of pollution.  
  how the Hungarian authorities ensure a targeted and 
proportionate  response  to  different  types  of  non-
compliant  behaviour,  in  particular  in  relation  to 
serious breaches detected.  

Hungary  is  active  within  EUFJE  and  participates  in  some 
IMPEL activities.  

For  the  period  2007-2013,  Hungary  reported  563  cases 
dealt  with  under  the  ELD,  the  highest  number  of  any 
Member State. The importance that the country attaches 
to  the  Directive  could  be  further  enhanced  by  the 
adoption  of guidance, as  well  as  by  additional  measures 
to  ensure  effective  financial  security  (to  pay  for 
remediation  when  an  operator  cannot). Difficulties  have 
been  experienced  with  the  latter.  For  example,  the 
operator  who  was  liable  for  the  tragic  accident  that 
occurred in October 2010 in the alumina facility near the 
town of Ajka proved to be grossly under-insured.   

129 COM(2016)204 final and COM(2016)121 final of 14.4.2016. This 

highlighted the need for better evidence on how the directive is used 
in practice; for tools to support its implementation, such as guidance, 
training and ELD registers; and for financial security to be available in 
case events or incidents generate remediation costs. 

130 See for details Amec Foster Wheeler Environment&Infrastructure UK 
Ltd in collaboration with Milieu Ltd, 2016, 'Assessment and summary 
of the Member States' implementation reports for the IED, IPPCD, 
SED and WID, p. 245f., which indicates also diverging practices across 
the country in relation to publication of inspection plans.  

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
 
                                                            
 
 
                                                            
Suggested action 

  Improve 

transparency  on 

the  organisation  and 
functioning  of  compliance  assurance  and  on  how 
significant risks are addressed, as outlined above. 

Hungary  25 

Hungarian  system  has  shortcomings  in  providing  the 
public,  notably  individuals  and  NGOs,  legal  standing 
which  would  allow  them  to  initiate  court  actions  in 
environmental matters132. 

  Encourage 

greater  participation  of 

competent 

Suggested action 

authorities in environmental compliance networks.  

  Step  up  efforts 

in  the 

implementation  of  the 
Environmental  Liability  Directive  (ELD)  with  proactive 
initiatives,  in  particular  by  drafting  national  guidance. 
Hungary should moreover take further steps to ensure 
an  effective 
for 
environmental  liabilities  (so  that  operators  not  only 
have  insurance  cover  available  to  them  but  actually 
take it up).  

system  of 

financial 

security 

Public participation and access to justice 

The  Aarhus  Convention,  related  EU  legislation  on  public 
participation and environmental impact assessment, and 
the case-law of the Court of Justice require that citizens 
and  their  associations  should  be  able  to  participate  in 
decision-making  on  projects  and  plans  and  should  enjoy 
effective environmental access to justice. 

Citizens  can  more  effectively  protect  the  environment  if 
they can rely on the three "pillars" of the Convention on 
Access  to  Information,  Public  Participation  in  Decision-
making  and  Access  to  Justice  in  Environmental  Matters 
("the  Aarhus  Convention")131.  Public  participation  in  the 
administrative  decision  making  process  is  an  important 
element to ensure that the authority takes its decision on 
the  best  possible  basis.  The  Commission  intends  to 
examine compliance with mandatory public participation 
requirements more systematically at a later stage. 

Access  to  justice  in  environmental  matters  is  a  set  of 
guarantees  that  allows  citizens  and  their  associations  to 
challenge  acts  or  omissions  of  the  public  administration 
before  a  court. 
for  decentralised 
It 
implementation of EU environmental law. 

is  a 

tool 

For  each  Member  State,  two  crucial  elements  for 
effective  access  to  justice  have  been  systematically 
reviewed:  the  legal  standing  for  the  public,  including 
NGOs and the extent to which prohibitive costs represent 
a barrier. 

A major challenge includes the simplification of access to 
justice  standing  rules  currently  differentiating  between 
nature and environmental protection, with a special view 
to facilitate standing for the public concerned in different 
environmental  planning  cases.  The  costs  to  bring 
environmental  cases  to  the  national  courts  are  not 
considered  as  being  prohibitively  high.  However,  the 

131 UNECE, 1998. Convention on Access to Information, Public 
Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in 
Environmental Matters  

  Take  the  necessary  measures  to  ensure  standing  in 
particular of  environmental NGOs  to  challenge  acts  or 
omissions  of  a  public  authority  in  all  sectoral  EU 
environmental  laws,  in  full compliance  with  EU  law  as 
well as the Convention on Access to Information, Public 
Participation  in  Decision-making  and  Access  to  Justice 
in environmental matters (Aarhus Convention). 

Access 
evidence 

to 

information,  knowledge  and 

The  Aarhus  Convention  and  related  EU  legislation  on 
access  to  information  and  the  sharing  of  spatial  data 
require that the public has access to clear information on 
the environment, including on how Union environmental 
law is being implemented. 

It is of crucial importance to public authorities, the public 
and business that environmental information is shared in 
an  efficient  and  effective  way.  This  covers  reporting  by 
active 
and 
businesses 
dissemination 
through 
to 
electronic means. 

and 
increasingly 

public 
the  public, 

authorities 

instruments 

create  obligations 

The  Aarhus  Convention,  the  Access  to  Environmental 
Information  Directive133  and  the  INSPIRE  Directive134 
together  create  a  legal  foundation  for  the  sharing  of 
environmental  information  between  public  authorities 
and with the public. They also represent the green part of 
the  ongoing  EU  e-Government  Action  Plan135.  The  first 
two 
to  provide 
information  to  the  public,  both  on  request  and  actively. 
The  INSPIRE  Directive  is  a  pioneering  instrument  for 
electronic  data-sharing  between  public  authorities  who 
can  vary  in  their  data-sharing  policies,  e.g.  on  whether 
access to data is for free. The INSPIRE Directive sets up a 
geoportal which indicates the level of shared spatial data 
in  each  Member  State  –  i.e.  data  related  to  specific 
locations,  such  as  air  quality  monitoring  data.  Amongst 
other  benefits 
it  facilitates  the  public  authorities' 
reporting obligations.  

For  each  Member 
accessibility  of 
State, 
environmental data (based on what the INSPIRE Directive 

the 

132 European Commission, 2012/2013 access to justice in 

environmental matters 

133 European Union, Directive 2003/4/EC on public access to 

environmental information 

134 European Union, INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC  
135 European Union, EU eGovernment Action Plan 2016-2020 - 

Accelerating the digital transformation of government COM(2016) 
179 final  

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary 

 
                                                            
                                                            
envisages)  as  well  as  data-sharing  policies  ('open  data') 
have been systematically reviewed136.  

Hungary  26 

Hungary's  performance  on  the  implementation  of  the 
INSPIRE  Directive  as  enabling  framework  to  actively 
disseminate  environmental  information  to  the  public  is 
lagging  behind.  Hungary  has  indicated  in  the  3-yearly 
INSPIRE  implementation  report137  that  the  necessary 
data-sharing  policies  allowing  access  and  use  of  spatial 
data  by  national  administrations,  other  Member  States' 
administrations  and  EU  institutions  without  procedural 
obstacles are not fully available. With the exception of a 
limited  set  of  spatial  data  sets,  the  existing  Hungarian 
data policy does not allow for free data sharing between 
public  administrations.  This  prevents  cooperation 
between the different sectors in Hungary and creates an 
important obstacle for data-sharing.  
Assessments  of  monitoring  reports138  issued  by  Hungary 
and  the  spatial  information  that  Hungary  has  published 
on  the  INSPIRE  geoportal139  indicate  that  not  all  spatial 
information 
and 
for 
implementation of EU environmental law has been made 
available  or  is  accessible.  The  larger  part  of  this  missing 
spatial  information  consists  of  the  environmental  data 
required  to  be  made  available  under  the  existing 
EU 
reporting 
environmental law. 

and  monitoring 

regulations 

evaluation 

needed 

the 

of 

Suggested action 

  Critically  review  the  effectiveness  of  its  data  policies 
into 
taking 

'best  practices' 

them, 

and  amend 
consideration.  

  Identify and document all spatial data sets required for 
the  implementation  of  environmental  law,  and  make 
the  data  and  documentation  at  least  accessible  'as  is' 
to  other  public  authorities  and  the  public  through  the 
digital services foreseen in the INSPIRE Directive.  

136 Upon request by the Commission, most Member States provided an 
INSPIRE Action Plan addressing implementation issues. These plans 
are currently being assessed by the Commission.  

137 European Commission, INSPIRE reports 
138 Inspire indicator trends 
139 Inspire Resources Summary Report 

Environmental Implementation Report – Hungary