Hungary's environmental status is generally favourable, but there are areas where greater attention is required, the Ministry of Rural Development's Minister of State for Environmental Affairs told a press conference in Budapest on Monday.
Zoltán Illés recalled that EU tendencies also appear in Hungary. As an example he mentioned the status of the air: solid particle emissions are causing problems both within the European Union and in Hungary, because microscopic dust particles are responsible for significant air pollution and cause serious damage to health. Handling this type of pollution is one of the greatest problems both in Hungary and within the EU, he added.
The Minister of State also drew attention to the fact that the country's water stocks are vulnerable and so their protection is a task of great importance.
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Minister of State Illés and Director General of the National Institute for Environment Imre Biczó held the press conference in view of the recent publication of a report on Hungary's environmental status, to present the report to the press.
Mr. Illés said that 94 percent of Hungary's surface waters arrive in the country from beyond its borders, meaning that bilateral intergovernmental relation are of great importance in preventing pollution.
The Minister of State explained that Hungary's underground water stocks are extremely vulnerable, citing as an example the recent pollution of water resources in the town of Abasár in Northern Hungary, but he also indicated that with regard to their qualitative and quantitative status, Hungary's waters are in a better state than those of many EU member states and other nations around the world.
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On the subject of ground pollution, the Minister of State drew attention to historical events of past years and decades, pointing out that ground pollution often spreads to also pollute water resources. This is one of the reasons why agriculture must take into account criteria related to the sustainable status of the environment, as is the case with organic farming.
Among others, Imre Biczó spoke about the fact that the report on Hungary's environmental status had been prepared according to rigorous scientific criteria. The report, which has been published in 2500 copies, presents the status of the environment with the help of experts and with relation to sustainability and other important environmental criteria.
In reply to a question from Hungarian news agency MTI, Minister of State Illés said that the goal of the report is not expressly to compare the status of the environment in Hungary with that of other countries, but so that those who are interested, and especially decision-makers, may gain better knowledge of the state of affairs in Hungary, adding that the Ministry plans to publish a similar report every year.
(MTI)
