According to the European Environment Agency’s 2017 Air Quality Report, every year more than 14,000 lives are lost prematurely due to air pollution in Hungary, and these people thus lose over 10 years of their lives on average. However, this is only the tip of the tip of the iceberg, since diseases resulting from the air pollution probably exceed one million new cases each year. Air pollution is mainly due to residential heating and burning. The Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights and the Clean Air Action Group, in collaboration with the German NGO Deutsche Umwelthilfe and the Danish Ecological Council held a conference on the 27th of February, titled “Air pollution resulting from residential heating - implementation of European and domestic legislation” precisely to discuss possible solutions to this problem.

Dr. Gyula Bándi, the ombudsman for future generations, opened the conference by stating: “The social difficulties of residential heating cannot provide grounds for the abuse of the fundamental right of others to good health. In this respect, the state has a responsibility, just like the affected population, to support, oversee and prohibit actions, as appropriate. EU regulation has much to say on the matter."

Dr. András Rácz, Deputy State Secretary responsible for environmental affairs, stated that Hungary has already done much to improve air quality and will continue to do so in the future. He spoke of the results of the inter-sectoral initiative to reduce particulate matter emissions and the ‘Heat wisely!’ campaign aimed at reducing the environmental and health hazards of improper heating, as well as the importance of providing professional support to environmental authorities.

Dr. Bálint Dobi, Head of Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, presented the measures implemented by the ministry so far. He outlined the legislative action on construction-demolition waste designed to curtail residential waste burning, as well as the ministerial programme for the professional support of environmental authorities.

Péter Lenkei, Head of the Environmental Advisory Office of the Clean Air Action Group, declared that, despite the huge hazard, there is not enough emphasis on awareness raising, government action and legislation to protect air quality. At the same time, he presented many good examples, both domestic and foreign.

Dr. István Garaguly, Chief Legal Officer of the Office of the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, stated that recent ombudsman inquiries into air protection have shown that in order to reduce the concentration of sulfur dioxide and particulate matter in Hungary, it is essential to regulate the availability of lignite, which has low heating value but is highly polluting, to the population as soon as possible, and to enforce the general ban on the burning of green waste at least in areas with public waste management services. At the same time, the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights has proposed that legislation be passed to incentivise waste management schemes for bio-waste (including green waste), and individual and community composting practices.

Markus Schlichter, Deputy Director of the German Chimney Sweeper Association, reported that one of the main tasks of chimney sweepers in Germany is to provide advice to residents on how to heat in the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. Annual chimney checks are mandatory, as well as checking the combustion installations every other year.

Dr. Janusz Cofala, Senior Research Fellow at the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), stated that household solid fuel combustion accounts for only 2.6% of total energy consumption in the EU, while at the same time 46% of the most harmful air pollutants, fine particles (PM2.5), come from here. In Hungary, these rates are 4% and 74% respectively. Therefore, a significant reduction in the household pollution of the air is essential for Hungary to be able to comply with EU emission limits, but this is an achievable feat.

Dániel Nagy, Deputy Director of the National Forestry Directorate of the National Food Safety Authority (NÉBIH), informed the conference that the agency carries out regular checks on timber commercial chains, which contribute to reducing air pollution indirectly, by reducing illegal logging, and directly, by tracking the volume, quality, and origin of the timber.

Tamás Schrott, an official of the Kőszeg District Office of the Vas County Government Office, said that if following an investigation, illegal burning is considered to have occurred, an air pollution fine is issued. The legislation does not allow them to circumvent this.

 

Dr. András Béres, Deputy Managing Director of the Herman Ottó Nonprofit Kft. (state environmental institute) emphasised that with the help of modern ash testing methods, the substances burnt in solid fuel stoves and boilers can be easily examined.

Lilla Szabics, a staff member of the TNS-Kantar-Hoffmann market research company, reported the results of their public opinion poll, which showed that every fourth Hungarian household burns waste in a stove or boiler, and every fifth, in the open. The main causes of such activities are a lack of knowledge, irresponsibility, and poverty.

Kåre Press-Kristensen, an expert at the Danish Ecological Council, reported his findings based on several tests conducted both outside and inside houses in small Hungarian villages in as well as Budapest. He was shocked to find that in most cases, the burning of solid fuels resulted in exceptionally high levels of pollution. He considers the dissemination of environmentally friendly heating methods, the insulation of buildings, and the effective and widespread raising of public awareness urgent.