Hidrológiai Közlöny, 2016 (96. évfolyam)
2016 / 3. szám - HISTORICAL SNAPSHOT - Kerekes-Steindl Zsuzsanna: Water quality protection in Hungary - policy and status
Zsuzsanna Kerekes-Steindl: Water quality protection in Hungary - policy and status 47 For all water related activities permits are necessary, which are valid only for specified period of time, generally for five years, and then have to be revised. The legislation details are prescribed in ministerial decrees, covering e.g. the immission and emission limit values, the rules of application them in official practice, the water quality monitoring, obligations of operators and authorities. By the regulation, the operators have to control their emission loads in frame of self-control system, and regularly send data and other relevant information to the authorities. The immission and emission data are stored and assessed in the National Environmental Information System (”OKlR”). The information relating to emission loads of the biggest dischargers is also available by the national and European Pollution Release and Transfer Register (“PRTR”) databases, through internet. The permitting procedure of the surface waters are based on the so called „combined principle”. Firstly, the WFD compliant environmental objectives of receiving water bodies have to be taken into consideration in the permitting procedure of the new installations, or when the earlier issued permits are revised. On the other hand, the technological emission limit values, based on the best available techniques, have to be applied also to limit the emission loads. Pollution fees on the basis of exceedances of emission limit values is still also in effect, but it does not mean, that paying fees allow further extra pollution. In these cases, operators’ obligation is to prepare a pollution reduction plan, approved by the water protection authority, and implement its measures by the agreed deadlines. As the worst case, the authority has the power to oblige the operators to stop the polluting activity. The regulatory package for the protection of ground- water aims to achieving and preserving the good status of groundwater by regulation of interventions. It covers the protection of groundwater and soil, the prohibition of direct and restriction for indirect discharges of different pollutants into groundwater, the rules of preventive and remedial interventions and pollution fee system. Rules of assessment of naturally occurring substances, the quality and quantity status of groundwater, of designing and operating monitoring networks, data collection and information systems were set up by legislation also. Upgrading the water protection legislation of course is not a finished process. From one side, it has to be continued to meet the constantly evolving requirements of the “acquis communautaire”. Hungary, as one of the Member States, actively participate in the EU level legislative work, and after new or modified legislation coming into force, has to transpose them into the national legislation. Additionally, the national legislation should be updated as well from time to time. As an example e.g. on the basis of the results of river basin management plans, to ensure the implementation of program of measures from legislation side. INSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM The water management regulatory and administrative organisational system has long history in Hungary. The earlier established regional water directorates (12) started to deal with water protection activities after the first relevant legislations came into force, in the 1950-60s. Special water quality protection departments have been created and water quality laboratories were also set up in each directorate. The second-degree authority tasks and the supervision of the activities of regional directorates belonged to the National Water Authority at that time. From the end of 1980s to the present, regional organisations dealing with water quality protection tasks, were several times reorganised, following mainly the changes of ministerial level responsibilities on environmental and water management fields. In 1987 the government merged the chief offices of water management and environmental protection into one organisation, and next year, raised that organisation to ministerial level, establishing the Ministry of Environment and Water Management. The two sectors’ regional authorities were also merged creating the regional environmental and water inspectorates. But in 1990 after the parliamentary election, the water management and environmental protection responsibilities were again separated into two ministries and the regional level inspectorates were also divided. The water quality protection tasks and also operation of the laboratory network remained in frame of the environmental inspectorates, under the supervision of environmental minister. The general water management duties of state, the water utility tasks, including investment programs, the flood and inland water management, and all other responsibilities, based on the Water Management Act, became the tasks of the minister, responsible for water management. The regional water directorates, responsible for operative water management, got the right to issue water management permits and act as general regional water management authorities. The environmental inspectorates were involved into the water management licensing as co-authorities. In 2002, in the new governmental structure, the environmental and water management tasks were given to the same ministry again (Ministry of Environment and Water). On regional level the so called „green authorities” (12 regional environmental, nature protection and water protection inspectorates) were established in 2005. Practically this system remained unchanged till 2012, when firstly the flood and inland management tasks, and from 2014 also the other water related tasks (river basin management planning and water quality protection) were given to the Ministry of Interior, and the regional authority tasks were shared on this new structure also. Currently the organisational structure, relating to water management and water protection tasks, is the following:- The minister of interior is responsible for general water management (related to the Water Management Act), water quality protection (related to the Environmental Act) and coordination of water directorates.- The water quality protection and water management authority tasks belong to the 12 county level disaster management directorates, and the second-level
