Continuous Improvement of Air Quality
Hungary’s Air Quality Meets EU Requirements, Ministry of Energy Reports
HungaroMet, the Hungarian meteorological service, has released data showing that air quality values in Hungary meet the relevant EU requirements across the country. According to the Ministry of Energy, the most affected areas have also shown a clear improvement trend. Since 2018, the area around Pécs in southwestern Hungary has met the EU’s PM10 pollution limit values, followed by Budapest and its agglomeration in 2020, and the Sajó Valley in 2023.
The Ministry emphasized that air quality is influenced by various factors, including geographical location, meteorological processes, and pollution from long distances and neighboring countries. To maintain compliance with the limit values, emissions must be reduced. In recent years, Hungary has taken significant steps in this direction.
In 2020, the government adopted the National Air Pollution Control Program, which builds upon the previous PM10 emission reduction program. The program includes measures for industries, energy, transport, agriculture, and the public sector to achieve emission reduction targets. It also sets the direction for regulations and subsidies in these sectors.
By implementing these measures, the Ministry aims to reduce the environmental and health burden by more than 50% by 2030. The government’s support schemes for energy efficiency and air quality investments have been extended until the end of 2022.
Additionally, the HungAIRy LIFE integrated project was launched in 2019 in 10 Hungarian municipalities, covering eight regions. The project aims to improve air quality by developing decision-support and air quality modeling tools, reviewing air quality plans, conducting awareness-raising activities, implementing local pilot actions, and establishing a national advisory network.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Energy has revised emission limits for toxic air pollutants in industrial plants to levels stricter than EU legislation, similar to Germany. This allows environmental authorities to impose stricter limits on permits, reducing emissions significantly.
The Ministry underlined the importance of energy efficiency upgrades in residential buildings, such as home renovation subsidies, in achieving air quality objectives. These initiatives, along with the government’s focus on reducing emissions and improving air quality, demonstrate Hungary’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Via MTI, Featured image: Pixabay
