Questionnaire on short-term action plans

HUNGARY

Introduction

Short term action plans in Hungary

The first short-term action plans were prepared in Hungary before the EU accession (e.g. in 1994 for Budapest). For the accession in 2004 all plans were harmonized with relevant community legislation. Today 13(+1)[1] cities possess short-term action plan.

Fortunately, there were no smog situations during the last years which needed the introduction of alert measures for NO2 and SO2. More problems occurred with ozone during summer periods but there is not much place of maneuver except for the information of inhabitants. In lack of necessity,short-term action plans were not needed to be applied and consequently no experience could be gained.

However, there is a great difference between national (Hungarian) and community legislation regardingthe control of short-term smog situations. In 2008 Hungary introduced (nation wide) information and alert thresholds for PM10[2]. This new piece of legislation is based on the 24-hour averages and serves more the public awareness and information purposes than urgent handle of hazard, compared to traditional thresholds for NO2, SO2 and ozone. As longer time-average is used meteorological conditions and forecast have more considerable importance.

information threshold
for PM10 / 75 µg/m3 / exceeded in two consecutive days with no improvement foreseen in the meteorological situation during the next day
alert threshold
for PM10 / 100 µg/m3 / exceeded in two consecutive days with no improvement foreseen in the meteorological situation during the next day

These thresholds soon were exceeded and cities had to apply their short-term action plans. So now we have experience which can be provided to the Commission via the attached questionnaire. Again, it should be emphasised that these experiences are all for situations with high PM10 pollution, which are not regarded smog situation in the community legislation. For that reason detailed PM10 data are not given in the relevant cells.

First experiences showed deficiencies in the plans. Although some of them were corrected (individually) the whole system should be streamlined (responsibilities to be defined more precisely, methods/routes to be fixed, etc.). An inter-ministerial working group is to start its work and amendments are to be introduced in regard of short-term action plans.

There are cities where local government has not prepared short-term action plan but plans for information or air quality plan/program which contains short-term measures as well. Some examples are also included.

Questionnaire

Although short-term action plans are prepared and implemented by relevant local governments, questionnaires were filled in by local environmental authorities (inspectorates), in Hungarian language. All these questionnaires are attached.

However, below there is a harmonized version based on the individual answers. This version is prepared in English.It cannot reflect the detailed differences often occur between local plans.

List of short-term action plans[3]

6/2011. (II. 15.) Főv. Kgy. rendelet Budapest Főváros szmogriadótervéről szóló 69/2008. (XII. 10.) Főv. Kgy. rendelet módosításáról

Debrecen Megyei Jogú Város Önkormányzata50/2009. (XII. 16.) rendelete Debrecen város szmogriadó tervéről

Dorog város önkormányzat képviselő-testületének 3/2010. (II. 26.) számú önkormányzati rendelete a szmoghelyzettel kapcsolatos teendők szabályozásáról

Győr Megyei Jogú Város Önkormányzata Közgyűlésének 39/2009. (XII. 07.) rendelete a szmogriadó tervről szóló 43/2003. (X. 10.) Ök. rendelet módosításáról és kiegészítéséről

Miskolc Megyei Jogú Város Önkormányzata23/2009.(VI.30.) számú rendelete a szmogriadó-tervről

32/2010.(XII.17.)önkormányzati rendelet Nyíregyháza város szmogriadó
tervéről

Pécs Megyei Jogú Város Önkormányzata Közgyűlésének 39/2009. (11.09.) rendelete a füstköd (szmog)-riadó intézkedési tervről

51/2009.(XI.24.) rendelet Salgótarján megyei jogú város szmogriadó tervéről

Sopron Megyei Jogú Város Önkormányzatának45/2009. (XII.1.) rendelete Sopron Megyei Jogú Város füstködriadó tervéről

Szeged Megyei Jogú Város Közgyűlésének 30/2005.(VI.28.) Kgy. rendelete Szeged Megyei Jogú Város Szmogriadó Tervéről

Székesfehérvár Megyei Jogú Város Önkormányzat Közgyűlése 50/2010.(XII. 14.) számú rendelete Székesfehérvár Megyei Jogú Város Szmogriadó Tervéről

Tatabánya Megyei Jogú Város Önkormányzata Közgyűlésének24/2009. (V.22.) kgy. sz. rendelete a rendkívüli levegőtisztaság-védelmi intézkedési tervről

Veszprém Megyei Jogú Város Önkormányzata Közgyűlésének 18/2011. (IV.29.) önkormányzati rendelete a füstköd-riadó tervről

Some other pieces of regulation for the control of smog situations[4]

Ajka Város lakosságának tájékoztatása a küszöbértéket meghaladó légszennyező anyagok levegőbe jutásának esetére

Várpalota Város lakosságának tájékoztatása a küszöbértéket meghaladó légszennyező anyagok levegőbe jutásának esetére

Dunaújváros Megyei Jogú VárosLevegőminőségi Intézkedési Terve

Informal questionnaire on the preparation and implementation of short-term action plans under Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe

Hungary

Please use the white cells of the tables for filling in your replies.

1 General
Introductory remarks:The Directive states that Member States must prepare, publish and regularly monitor short-term action plans if there is a risk of exceedance of the alert thresholds. Member States may prepare an action plan if there is a risk that the limit or target values will be exceeded.
1a. Do you have a short-term action plan in place? / ■ Yes, in selected cities
□ No
If Yes, please provide a copy or a link / Budapest, Debrecen, Dorog, Győr, Miskolc, Nyíregyháza, Pécs,Salgótarján,Sopron, Szeged, Székesfehérvár, Tatabánya, Veszprém
(all of them are linked and also enclosed in electronic format)
1b. Has there been an exceedance of alert thresholds (AT) and/or relevant limit or target values (LV/TV) in the past five years? / □ Yes, AT
□ Yes, LV/TV
■ Yes, Both
□ No
If Yes, please provide details / Except for some exceedance of ozone thresholds, these exceedances relate to PM10 thresholds, which are out of community legislation. All exceedances of health limit values can be found through questionnaires of 2004/461/EC.
1c. Have you identified arisk of exceedance of alert thresholds (AT) and/or relevant limit or target values (LV/TV) in the past five years? / □ Yes, AT
□ Yes, LV/TV
■ Yes, Both
□ No
If Yes, please provide details / Usually assessments prepared for the review of short term action plans contain information on that risk. Short term assessments are based on daily data plus meteorological forecasts.
1d. Please briefly describe the national provisions regarding short-term action plans and provide the respective links.
The following pieces of legislation contain requirements on short term action plans:
Governmental Decree No. 306/2010. (XII. 23.)on the protection of ambient air, and
VM ministerial decree No. 4/2011. (I. 14.) on air quality limit values and emission limit values of stationary point sources.
Requirements are harmonized with relevant regulation of the air quality directive (2008/50/EC). Moreover they are stricter. E.g. all cities with more than 200000 inhabitants have to prepare short term action plan irrelevant of their air quality situation.

2. Risk assessment

Introductory remarks:Short-term action plans may be initiated prior to the alert threshold being exceeded. Determining the risk of exceeding the alert thresholds is therefore a prerequisite to the preparation of short-term action plans. How important is the role of pollution forecasting in the preparation and or initiation of the short-term action plan?
2a.Do you assess your risk of exceeding alert thresholds or relevant limit and target values? / ■Yes
□ No
2b. IfYes, what assessment methods do you use? Please supply details of any method. Please also state how regularly this assessment is made and in how far different spatial levels are addressed.Please also refer to note 2003/1 by the CAFÉ Working Group on Implementation Necessity to prepare action plans to reduce the duration of exceedances of alert thresholds (Art 7(3), 96/62/EC[5])as well as Decision 2004/279/EC[6].
All these cities have automated monitoring stations which provide real time air quality data. Another factor to be taken into consideration is weather. The Hungarian Meteorological Service provides weather forecasts - usually nation wide ones twice a week but much more often before and during smog situations. One city, Pécs started to introduce air quality model. Long-term assessments are based on data from the earlier 5-10 years.
2c. Comment on your practise of pollution forecasting; accuracy of the pollution forecasting, any problems and ideas for solutions:
There are special problems in relation to PM10 situation which are connected to the relative long time frame. Weather conditions can change within hours and sometimes the last hours’ data modify the 24 hours average. So it may happen that during the day exceedance of a threshold is foreseen but at the end the average is below that number. It makes reactions more difficult. Another problem is caused by the concerns on prediction of transboundary contribution.
2e. How did you predict the likely impact of your short-term action plan on pollutant concentrations? Please provide information about your emission source apportionment analysis and respective spatial references, and how this is related to the choice of the measures.
There is a possible list of measures (from air pollutant to air pollutant to be applied in smog situations) in the annex 3 point B to Governmental Decree No. 306/2010. (XII. 23.) on the protection of ambient air. Choice of measures should be decided on the spot, for individual situations. Source appointments should be prepared locally, details can be found in relevant questionnaires.
3. Short-term measures: Types and sectors
Introductory remarks:The Directive defines objectives of measures and provides examples of sectors to be targeted with short-term action plans.
3a. Does the short-term action plan specifically aim at:
-reducing emissions / ■ Yes
□ No
If Yes, please provide details / several emission reduction measures can be found in all short term action plans
-shortening duration / ■ Yes
□ No
If Yes, please provide details / although it’s an aim in several action plans there is not much space for action for that purpose. Usually only improvements in weather condition can solve the smog situation (wind comes and dilutes polluted air).
-minimising exposure / ■ Yes
□ No
If Yes, please provide details / mainly the population is informed on the situation and on possible ways of protection but also e.g. postponement of open air programs
3b. Which types of measures are foreseen:
-education/information / ■ Yes
□ No
If Yes, please provide details / continuous information of the population through local media, internet on the situation and recommended behaviour
-technical / ■ Yes
□ No
If Yes, please provide details / e.g. interruption of construction works, or transitional stop of certain technologies in IPPC plants
-economic/financial / ■ Yes
□ No
If Yes, please provide details / it was hard to decide what measures can be regarded economic/financial. Some inspectorates listed here the limitation of operation as they have financial consequences. Also fines can be listed here.
-special protection of sensitive population groups / ■ Yes
□ No
If Yes, please provide details / information, increased medical supervision during smog situation, exemption from restrictions for food- and medicine-supply, basic services, etc.
3c. Which sectors are targeted by short-term measures? As short-term measures might also be integrated in air quality plans, please give details of these short-term measures as well. Short-term measures within an air quality plan would be those measures which are not effective continuously but which become effective at times when there is a risk of high pollution levels (e.g. reduced speed limit during periods of high emission / high ambient air concentration levels).
Short–term action plan / Air Quality Plan
Please note: a usual mistake occurs in several questionnaires that long-term measures are given here
-Motor-vehicle traffic / ■ Yes
□ No / □ Yes
■No
If Yes, please provide details including expected quantified impacts / speed limit, withdraw from circulationby the even-odd registration number rule, restrictions based on the environmental class of vehicles, increased number of parking spots / usually there are no short-term measures in the AQPs but longer ones, e.g. bypass roads, LEZ, improvement of public transport, introduction of intermodal centres, enhance suburban commuting, promote cycling, etc.
-Construction works / ■ Yes
□ No / □ Yes
■No
If Yes, please provide details including expected quantified impacts / transitional stop of construction works, and transport of construction materials / long-term only, e.g. special provisions on construction works for the decrease of dust/VOC emissions
-Ships at berth / □ Yes
■ No / □ Yes
■ No
If Yes, please provide details including expected quantified impacts
-Use of industrial plants/products / ■ Yes
□ No / □ Yes
■ No
If Yes, please provide details including expected quantified impacts / some plants (usually ones with IPPC permit) have to prepare and implement its own short-term action plan, the operation of others can be restricted / longer-term measures
-Domestic heating / ■ Yes
□ No / □ Yes
■ No
If Yes, please provide details including expected quantified impacts / Inhabitants are asked to economize on heating or/and to switch from solid fuel to natural gas if possible. [7]
-Other / □ Yes
■ No / □ Yes
■ No
If Yes, please provide details including expected quantified impacts

4. Short-term action plans:Implementation strategy

Introductory remarks: To implement the short-term action plan legal and administrative responsibility within the MemberState should be clear. A precise implementation plan is required including times, stages and measures as well as set structures for monitoring implementation and evaluating impacts.
4a. Please describe all of these aspects of your implementation strategy below and comment on your experience and views.
Several short-term action plans contain detailed list of tasks and responsibilities, also steps to be taken in case a smog situation. In all cases environmental, health and transport agencies/inspectorates are involved (sometimes also representative ofdirectorate for disaster management) with the leadership of the local government (the mayor of the city). Most effectively they are forming a group which makes decisions. According to the decisions all participants are responsible for the implementation of the relevant measures. Usually local governments, who have their own ways for communication with the public, inform inhabitants. In case of a smog situation covering larger part of the country, the Ministry of Rural Development gives country-wide information via media (example, example).
4b. Has your short-term action plan been initiated? / ■ Yes
□ No
If yes, how often, in which situations? Please describe
Only in case for PM10! Only some times yearly.
(For ozone situation only information dissemination is given.)
4c.Please describe your processes for monitoring and evaluation.
In some cases test alarms have been applied to evaluate the efficiency of the plan. The base is usually the data from continuous monitoring of ambient air quality.

5. Short-term action plans: Communication strategy

Introductory remarks: The Directive states that where Member States have drawn up a short-term action plan they shall make available to the public both the results of their investigations on the feasibility and the content of specific short-term action plans as well as information on the implementation of these plans.
5a Have you made such information available to the public? / ■Yes
■Internet
■Radio
■ Television
□Variable message signs
■Other (newspapers)
□ No
Please provide link to information or the information itself / They can be found on pages 1 and 2 and also in individual questionnaires
5b Please describe your overall communication strategy including all relevant stakeholders.
Communication is usually carried out by the common way decided for other issues as well. Strategy is decided according to relevant legal requirements for local governments. In practice environmental inspectorates inform local government first during polluted situations when risk of information/alert threshold exceedance presents. Information is supplemented with weather forecast by the Hungarian Meteorological Service. When threshold is exceeded population is also informed by the usual way the local government applies. For smog situation information the home-page of environmental inspectorates are also used.

6. Short-term action plans: Impact

6a. Please provide quantified details on the impact and the effectiveness of measures by objective and sector (see 3a and 3b).
Generally can be stated that measures alone never solve these situations. The greatest effect which can be reached by them is reducing the seriousness of the situation, lowering the maximum value of air pollution. Without changes in meteorological conditions (usually the broadening of mixing layer) there is no possibility to stop smog. Regarding the complexity of these situations there is no quantitative evaluation of individual measures available.
6b. Which measures were found to be the most effective? Please describe and explain why.
There are some examples given in individual questionnaires.
6c. Please provide links to reports and/orreferences.
Find them at individual questionnaires where available.

7. Short-termaction plans and air quality plans

Introductory remarks: Where limit values are exceeded, short-termmeasures may also be included in air quality plans. Integration of air quality and short-term action plans is important.
4a.Have you included short-term measures to reduce, shorten the duration of the exceedances or minimise the exposure, in your Air Quality plan? / □ Yes
□ No
Although in many cases there is “yes” here, usually they mean longer term measures (same misunderstanding as in Part 3.c)
4b. If yes,comment on your experience and views; do the short-term action plan and air quality plan complement each other or are there antagonisms? Which aspects of the overall air quality strategy are supported by the short-term action plan?
There are several views, for example long-term measures can serve as base for short-term measures, e.g. construction of bypass roads gives possibility to block transit traffic through the city during smog situations.
4c. If no separate short-term action plan has been in place - would you see additional benefit if a separate short-term action plan would have been set up?
In these cases/questionnaires there IS short-term action plan.

8. Any other issues

Please provide any other commentson issues not sufficiently covered.
Recurring problem for both long- and short-tem measures is domestic heating. This sector is very difficult to regulate and more seriously to control.

Thank you very much for your cooperation!

You are welcome.

Informal questionnaire on the preparation and implementation of short-term action plansPage 1 of 10

[1]Budapest, Debrecen, Dorog, Győr, Miskolc, Nyíregyháza, Pécs, Salgótarján, Sopron, Szeged, Székesfehérvár,Tatabánya, Veszprém (and Százhalombatta is near to finalization)

[2]KvVM-EüM-FVM joint ministerial decree No. 25/2008. (X.17.)

[3]all of them are linked and also enclosed in electronic format

[4]all of them are linked (except for Ajka) and also enclosed in electronic format

[5] Available at

[6] Commission Decision 2004/279/EC concerning guidance for implementation of Directive 2002/3/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to ozone in ambient air,

[7]Domestic heating is very hard to regulate. Local governments have the right to create legal regulation on that field but they hardly use this option. Product standards on SCI can bring longer term solution for which community legislation is to be developed.