Abs ac —The change o egime in Hunga y be ween 1989
and 1990 was an economic and social ans o ma ion a he
same ime. These p ocesses had an e ec on ene gy consump-
ion and he eby on ene ge ics oo. The high ene gy needs o
indus y dec eased and he s uc u e o indus y changed. Hun-
ga y had o ace a one-sided and hea y ene gy-dependence
om he So ie Union. Ine i ably, his made es ablishing uni-
ied ene gy consump ion indispensable. In his a icle, I aim o
examine wha economic and poli ical e en s ha e led o chang-
es in ene gy policy and wi h all he changes wha majo p inci-
ples ha e emained unchanged in he pas 25 yea s.
Keywo ds—Ene gy policy, ene ge ics, enewable ene gy
esou ces
I. INTRODUCTION
Be o e desc ibing he de ails o he ene gy policy in
Hunga y, I would like o de ine he concep . Ene gy poli-
cy is, in ac , he s a egy o ene gy supply. I includes
imposing he o e all condi ions o ene gy supply and
ene ge ics, p o iding long- e m ha mony be ween u u e
ene gy needs, and accoun able ene gy esou ces, aking
in o accoun economic boom as well as en o cing social
in e es s. The ollowing ac o s a e o key-impo ance in
ene gy-policy: consume p o ec ion, en i onmen p o ec-
ion as well as complying wi h in e na ional obliga ions
beside secu e ene gy supply and asks o legisla ion [1].
The main goal o ene gy policy is o en o ce p o ision o
secu e ene gy supply o he popula ion and he
economy, while keeping en i onmen pollu ion and
se ice p ices a a socially accep able le el so as o mee
he jus i ied ene gy needs o he coun y wi h cau ion [2].
The ene gy policy o a coun y and he equi emen s o
ene gy supply a ising can be summa ized as ollows: The
ene gy supply needs o be sa e, a ailable o e e yone,
economically iable, socially accep able, and sui able o
en i onmen p o ec ion.
II. A REVIEW OF THE ENERGY STRATEGY OF HUNGARY
Hunga y is a coun y poo in na u al esou ces so i
hea ily elies on pe manen and sa e ene gy impo . This
ac , basically de e mines now and in he u u e he op-
po uni ies a ailable o he coun y and i s ene gy
policy. The change o egime and i s concomi an
economic ans o ma ion ine i ably had an impac on he
ene gy sec o oo. The Laws o 1988 on economic
co po a ions and he 1989 Laws o T ans o ma ion made
i possible o new owne ship s uc u es o appea in he
ene gy sec o . As a esul , he sys em o co po a ions o
ene ge ics changed oo. Fo example, gas-supply
companies le OKGT ( he Hunga ian Oil and Gas
Indus y T us ) in 1990. In 1991 MOL Plc. ( he
Hunga ian Oil and Gas Indus y Plc), and he Hunga ian
Elec ici y Plc we e es ablished. A he same ime, laws
ela ed o he ope a ion o Co po a e Sys em and o he
ene gy indus y we e passed. Mining Law, Concession
Law, Gas Law and Elec ici y Law we e all passed. To
supe ise ma ke s egula ed by he laws, he Hunga ian
O ice o Mining and he Hunga ian Ene gy O ice we e
es ablished.
The basic p inciples o he new na ional ene gy policy
had been ou lined ea lie based on a documen submi ed
o he Hunga ian Pa liamen in he egula ion o 21/1993.
They a e as ollows [3]:
1) To keep and inc ease he secu i y o ene gy-supply.
To dec ease one-sided impo dependence and lay
down he igh economic-poli ical condi ions o
di e si ied ene gy pu chase.
2) To enhance ene gy e iciency and ene gy sa ing,
whe eby he compe i i eness o he ma ke inc eases.
3) To c ea e sui able economic and legal en i onmen
so ha he Hunga ian ene gy economy can g adually
be adap ed o he eme ging, uni ied Eu opean ene gy
ma ke .
4) To en o ce he p inciple o he lowes cos in he de-
elopmen and ope a ion o he ene gy sys em.
5) To en o ce en i onmen al aspec s in bo h he ene gy-
p oducing and ene gy-consuming sys ems and in u-
u e de elopmen s.
6) To no malize he si ua ion o coal-mining while
p io i izing in e es s o he na ional economy.
Mos o he p inciples and s a egic planning lis ed
abo e ha e been implemen ed, while he es a e in p o-
g ess. Laying down hese basic p inciples, howe e , was
especially signi ican because hey ha e p o ided a deci-
si e amewo k o implemen ing ou ene gy policy up o
he p esen day.
The Go e nmen was au ho ized by he Pa liamen in
Regula ion 21/1993 [3] o submi a biannual epo o he
Pa liamen on he ene gy-policy being implemen ed. The
i s epo o his kind was p epa ed o he Pa liamen in
1995. In he e y same yea he Law o P i a iza ion and
i s amendmen we e passed, which ac ually na owed
REVIEW OF THE HUNGARIAN ENERGY
POLICY BETWEEN 1990 AND TODAY
Tünde JENEI
Uni e si y o Deb ecen, Facul y o Enginee ing Deb ecen Hunga y
jenei @eng.unideb.hu
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down he possible a e o s a e p ope y in he ene ge ics-
co po a ions. Du ing he i s phase o p i a iza ion o
he elec ical-ene gy sec o HUF 180 billion p o i was
ob ained ou o a o al o HUF 245 billion, mos o which
was a esul o selling elec ici y se ice-p o ide s. The
Hunga ian Elec ici y Wo ks made long- e m ag eemen s
wi h powe s a ions o elec ici y pu chase con ac s.
The nex accoun was comple ed a he end o 1997,
which would ha e been submi ed o he Pa liamen a
he beginning o 1998, had he e no been elec ions and a
new go e nmen . A epo was submi ed on how he
p inciples o ene gy policy we e obse ed in 1999, which
was passed by he Go e nmen in a egula ion [4]. This
epo con ained ele an in o ma ion abou changes in
he ene gy sec o be ween 1995 and 1999, as well as
analyses o e en s and o icial s andpoin s. A ew new
p inciples o he ene gy policy de ailed in he p oposal
we e also de ined:
1) To c ea e a home ma ke allowing o he
compe i i eness o he economy as well as he
na ional ea u es in o de o p o ec consume s’
in e es s, as pa o he uni ied Eu opean ma ke .
2) To emphasize he impo ance o sus ainable de elop-
men .
3) I is o i al impo ance o egula e monopolies in a
anspa en way.
The in o ma ion bulle in published in 2001 ou lined
ano he wo p inciples in addi ion o he ea lie basic
p inciples:
1) Inc easing he a e o enewable ene gy esou ces in
ene gy consump ion as well as,
2) P o ec ing he in e es s o ene gy consume s.
The nex in o ma ion bulle in was made in 2005.
The e we e basic changes aking place in he Hunga ian
na ional economy and in he ene gy sec o o ming pa
o i . The ene gy needs o he economy had la gely
dec eased, he pollu ion o he en i onmen had d opped
signi ican ly, and he ene gy sec o had become basically
p i a ized wi h he eme gence o mul iple owne ship, and
he condi ions o a compe i i e ma ke had been laid
down bo h in he ield o oil de i a i es and pipeline
ene gy esou ces. Simul aneously, he impo -
dependence o he coun y had inc eased and he high
a e o ossil ene gy emained. A he same ime, he
p ice o oil inc eased on he ene gy ma ke , ollowed by
a ise in he p ice o na u al gas. The ac ha Hunga y
joined he EU in 2004 also in ol ed changes in he
egula o y laws o ene ge ics. The ac o s men ioned
abo e made he de ini ion o ene gy policy, as pa o he
economic policy indispensable.
The ene gy policy o 2007-2020 was de e mined by
he Pa liamen , which in ol es supply secu i y, compe i-
i eness, sus ainabili y, and he o e all long- e m imple-
men a ion o p ima y goals. A he same ime, goals o
he ene gy policy a e laid down, such as mee ing he en-
e gy needs o he popula ion in a secu e, economical
way, allowing o aspec s o en i onmen p o ec ion,
while ein o cing compe i i eness in he ene gy ma ke ,
as well as acili a ing he implemen a ion o communi y
objec i es de ined wi hin he amewo k o he Eu opean
Union.
The egula ion passed on “ he Ene gy Policy o 2007-
2020” [5] can be ega ded as a “ ame-documen ”, a new
concep o he ene gy policy eplacing he old 1993 Pa -
liamen egula ion. The Pa liamen egis e ed he ollow-
ing main goals in he dec ee o [5].
1) The s a egic goal o he ene gy policy is o op imize
supply secu i y, compe i i eness and sus ainabili y,
while conside ing long- e m aspec s as he o e all e-
aliza ion o p ima y goals. Ha mony needs o be
achie ed be ween he Hunga ian ene gy policy and
clima e policy wi hin he ene gy policy.
2) When aking on in oducing measu es o dec ease
g eenhouse gases, hei in luence on he ene gy sup-
ply secu i y, he economy and compe i i eness o
Hunga y also need o be accoun ed o .
3) Implemen ing he goals o ene gy policy, especially
imp o ing ene gy e iciency and inc easing ene gy
sa ing and encou aging he use o enewable ene gy
esou ces and ene gy gained om was e, is o be en-
cou aged by s a e subsidizing and sou ces made
a ailable o Hunga y by he Eu opean Union.
Special a en ion should be paid o en i onmen al
e ec s, na u e conse a ion as well as e ec s ela ed
o ood and odde p oduc ion, while encou aging he
use o enewable ene gy esou ces.
4) To ensu e ha a egula o y en i onmen be o med
and de eloped complying wi h he goals o ene gy
policy and EU laws, one mee ing he igh condi ions
o a compe i i e ma ke while allowing o consume
p o ec ion, supply secu i y, echnical secu i y,
en i onmen p o ec ion and na u e conse a ion as
well as labou hygiene.
In he e y same yea , he go e nmen passed he “Na-
ional Ene gy E iciency Ac ion Plan” [6], he “S a egy
o Renewable Ene gy Resou ces” [7] concep oo. In-
c easing he a e o enewable ene gy esou ces bo h de-
c eases he impo dependence o Hunga y and con ib-
u es o laying down condi ions o sus ainable de elop-
men , and o implemen ing goals o en i onmen p o ec-
ion, na u e conse a ion and clima e p o ec ion [7]. The
main goal o ene gy policy is o inc ease he a e o e-
newable ene gy use acili a ing he compe i i eness o
he economy in acco dance wi h he cu en inancial
load-bea ing capaci y o he coun y and egion. I is
p ima ily u ilizing biomass, wind ene gy, geo he mal
ene gy and sola ene gy o he enewable ene gy
esou ces ha o e excellen oppo uni ies allowing o
he po en ials o Hunga y. The e a e signi ican po en ials
in he use o biomass, bu planning and implemen a ion
mus la gely allow o all he majo aspec s o
en i onmen al p o ec ion and sus ainabili y. Special
a en ion mus be paid o he use o biomass de i ed om
ield and o es managemen as hey migh allow o
en i onmen p o ec ion, na u e conse a ion aspec s o
sus ainabili y o be conside ed.
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When planning he use o enewable ene gy esou ces
he ollowing ac o s need o be allowed o :
1) The use o enewable ene gy esou ces is gene ally
mo e expensi e ha o ca bohyd a es. The di e ence
is g adually dec easing, especially when accoun ing
o cos s o clima e change, and p edic able wo ld
ma ke p ice ise o oil and na u al gas.
2) Renewable ene gy esou ces imp o e he secu i y o
ene gy supply by dec easing he a e o impo ene -
gy, di e si ying sou ces o p ocu emen , inc easing
he a e o ene gy coming om he coun y egions
and c ea ing new jobs.
3) While using enewable ene gy esou ces no (e.g.
wind ene gy) o only li le amoun o g eenhouse
gases is eleased.
Ene gy policy decisions ha e o be made by educing
(in he Eu opean Union and in e na ionally) CO2 emis-
sions and obse ing emissions o o he pollu an s. In he
sense o he Kyo o p o ocol, he a e o g eenhouse gases
has o be educed in Hunga y by 6 % on a e age in 2008-
2012 compa ed o he pe iod o 1985-87. Mid- e m e-
duc ion o emissions in Hunga y la gely depends on load
dis ibu ion ag eemen s in he Eu opean Union.
Hunga y has o de ine wha ex en o emission educ-
ion can be achie ed when accoun ing o he load-
bea ing capaci y o socie y and he economy. Fa mo e
adical in e na ional clima e p o ec ion equi emen s will
ha e o be conside ed by 2030 han he cu en ones. To
achie e goals o clima e p o ec ion bo h inc easing ene -
gy e iciency and u ilizing enewable ene gy will gain
g ound. The goals men ioned abo e had o be modi ied
due o he wo ld c isis o 2008-2009 as well as he new
Eu opean di ec i es. The ea lie s a egy had no ac ually
accoun ed o he ene gy need educing e ec o he eco-
nomic ecession o 2008-2009. Mos ecen ene gy need
p edic ions o ecas signi ican ly lowe ene gy needs o
2020 han he goals o he ea lie s a egy.
Conside ing changes in ene gy needs 2020 ene gy sa -
ing expec a ions we e modi ied by he EU, hus making
hem lowe han goals o he ea lie s a egy.
The guiding p inciple 2009/28/EC o he Eu opean
Pa liamen and Council [8] sugges s ha he goal enew-
able ene gy alue wi hin he o e all p ima y ene gy se
by 2020 be 20 %. The a e o bio uel wi hin all uels
should each 10 %. This guiding p inciple aiming a a
20% enewable ene gy a e in ac allows o po en ials
and special ea u es o he membe s a es espec i ely.
This means, o example, ha Hunga y is expec ed o
each 13% enewable ene gy use o he o e all ene gy
consump ion by 2020.
I is also p esc ibed by he guiding p inciple ha he
membe s a es p epa e Na ional Renewable Ene gy Ac-
ion Plan by he end o June o 2010, o be submi ed on
a uni ied o m o he Eu opean Commi ee. The
schedules o he Na ional Renewable Ene gy Ac ion Plan
is o be based on he base yea o 2005.
The goals o he Na ional Renewable Ene gy Ac ion
Plan o ed by he Go e nmen in egula ion 1076/2010
a e as ollows:
The Na ional Renewable Ene gy Ac ion Plan bases on
he Renewable Ene gy S a egy o Hunga y al eady
o ed by he go e nmen in egula ion 2148/2008 in
2008 [7]. Howe e , allowing o signi ican changes ha
ha e aken place, he global economic ecession, he
economic econs uc ion as well as economic
de elopmen p og am de ined by he Hunga ian
go e nmen , hey ew i e and o e w i e hem. As a
esul , Hunga y does no only conside he use o
enewable ene gy esou ces an obliga ion, bu much
a he an excellen oppo uni y o con ibu e o economic
de elopmen . In his espec , he use o enewable ene gy
a esou ces is a need and oppo uni y a he same ime.
Fi s , i is a undamen al need o ind an answe o
p oblems caused by he excessi e use o ossil ene gy
esou ces (such as clima ic change, impo dependence,
imbalance o ade balance, sho age o ene gy e c.)
which migh be ad an ageous bo h economically and in
e ms o en i onmen p o ec ion o he coun y and ou
socie y oo. On he o he hand, i o e s an oppo uni y
o a s uc u al change in he na ional economy, o
comp ehensi e p oduc ion and ma ke e o ms. Acco d-
ingly, he goals o he Na ional Renewable Ene gy
Ac ion Plan a e o be de e mined, encou aging small and
medium-sized ene gy p oducing uni s ha ing a he la ge
job-c ea ing capaci y, mo e adap able o local esou ces,
o p oduce ene gy a he highes possible le el o
e iciency and achie e long- e m sus ainable
en i onmen use.
Changes in ex e nal condi ions ( echnological de el-
opmen , dec easing in es men cos s, di ec communi y
esou ces e c.), e ision o he egula o y sys em and i s
ine i able ans o ma ion, econside ing suppo sys ems,
and simpli ying licensing p ocesses migh o e an
oppo uni y o his.
In ha mony wi h he ac o s abo e, measu es o he
Na ional Renewable Ene gy Ac ion Plan conce n he ol-
lowing public asks:
1) I is necessa y o pass a new law on sus ainable
ene ge ics.
2) T ans o ming, simpli ying cu en suppo
p og ams and making hem e icien .
3) Launching an independen (co- inanced by he EU)
ene ge ics suppo p og am.
4) All- ound ans o ma ion o he compulso y sys em
o aking o e elec ic ene gy p oduced om
enewable ene gy esou ces (he eina e called
g een ene gy).
5) Examining suppo ing al e na i es o ene gy
p oduced om enewable ene gy esou ces.
6) P omo ing mo e ac i e pa icipa ion in di ec
communi y and o he suppo p og ams.
7) Re ision o incen i es buil in o building ene ge ics.
8) Re ision o coun y planning and o ming egional
ene ge ics concep s.
9) Re ision and simpli ica ion o egula o y, licensing
sys ems and p ocedu es.
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10) P og ams aimed a o ming iews, in o ma ion
campaigns and elabo a ing (in eg a ed in o ma ion
p og ams).
11) Launching de elopmen p og ams in o de o de el-
op indus ies ela ed o enewable ene gy use.
Launching p og ams aimed a dissemina ing second
gene a ion bio and al e na i e uels. The main goal o he
Na ional Renewable Ene gy Ac ion Plan is o p oduce
he g ea es possible o e all social p o i based on he
na u al, economic, social, cul u al and geopoli ical
po en ials o Hunga y. The p ima y goal o u ilizing
enewable and al e na i e ene gy is o dec ease he gas
and oil impo -dependence o he coun y.
III. CONCLUSION
Impo has a high p opo ion in he ene gy supply o
Hunga y. Local p oduc ion makes up one i h o oil
needs, one six h o na u al gas consump ion and he cu -
en ly a ailable and p edic able s ock da a make i e en
mo e likely o his a e o dec ease.
Inc easing wo ld ma ke ene gy p ices will con inue
long e m. The wo ld ma ke p ices o ene gy, mainly oil
and na u al gas has doubled in he pas one o wo yea s
due o a g owing demand in quickly de eloping Asian
coun ies, p oduc ion cos s and a ious poli ical e en s.
Inc easing he secu i y o supply equi es signi ican in-
es men s (new sou ces and ne wo k capaci ies and secu-
i y s ocks), which inc ease he ene gy cos s o
consume s u he . Fu he es ic ion o he clima e
policy, en i onmen p o ec ion and na u e conse a ion
may in luence he ope a ional amewo k o ene ge ics.
En i onmen p o ec ion and dec easing pollu ion will
become an ine i able cons ain in he nex qua e cen u-
y. Decisions on ene ge ics will ha e o be made consid-
e ing he ac ha egula ions o en i onmen p o ec ion,
na u e conse a ion and clima e policy will become
s ic e . Ene gy supply and ene gy use ha e signi ican
en i onmen al e ec s, and a key issue o ene gy policy is
o mode a e hese e ec s. Regula ions o
En i onmen p o ec ion, na u e conse a ion and cli-
ma e policy, limi alues and obse ing laws a e ex e nal
consequences o ene gy policy.
The Union p esc ibes goals in con ac s, guiding p in-
ciples and egula ions so ha he goals accep ed be im-
plemen ed. Execu ing he egula ions connec ed wi h
ene ge ics is compulso y o membe s a es, so hey need
o be in eg a ed in o goals o ene gy policy and means o
execu ion. S a egic goals o compe i i eness, supply
secu i y, and sus ainabili y a e i al, and wi hin hese
egula ions ela ed o en i onmen p o ec ion, p omo ing
ene gy secu i y and anspa en ma ke compe i ion a e
o special impo ance.
Hunga y has o ace he same challenges. I is a i al
in e es o Hunga y ha he Eu opean Union can ind
answe s o hese ques ions, ones ha a e a ou able o
Hunga y oo. The o e whelming majo i y o asks con-
olled by ene gy policy can be deduced om goals o
supply secu i y, non-commi ed compe i i eness and en-
i onmen p o ec ion (wi hin his clima e p o ec ion).
O icial Hunga ian ene gy policy handles issues o ene -
gy sa ing, inc easing he use o enewable ene gy and
na u e conse a ion in an iden ical uni ied way.
70 % o ene gy esou ces a e impo ed in o Hunga y,
and his a e is going o inc ease due o dwindling local
esou ces. The mos impo an s a egic aim o he Hun-
ga ian ene gy policy is o op imize supply secu i y, com-
pe i i eness and sus ainabili y as an o e all se o goals.
Se e al in e ac ions can be imagined be ween he h ee
goals abo e, and, in many cases hei implemen a ion
may con lic hose o he o he s, bu hey may also ein-
o ce each o he . The measu es aken o achie e he goals
equi e a special emphasis on common e ec s, o be able
o esol e con adic ions be ween hem and c ea e he
g ea es ha mony.
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