Environmental audit on the three-border area of Hungary Slovenia and Austria
Report ID: 190
The territory of Hungary includes the deepest parts of the Carpathian basin, the country’s rivers originate in the neighbor countries and their catchments areas are also located mostly there. Due to this fact of Hungarian natural geography and to the prevailing movement of air in the region, the water and air pollutions occurring in the neighbor countries can speedily reach Hungarian territory and the chance of prevention is small. Intensive international cooperation is required for the timely protection against, respectively the treatment of unfavorable environmental impacts, which can affect the country. The government is to coordinate the enforcement of citizens’ rights for a healthy environment with the implementation of environmental treaties and agreements concluded with other countries and international organizations. Interstate treaties were concluded with the aim to protect surface waters and source water bodies in the border areas, and continuous and organized cooperation is in place on the basis of treaties between the local and central agencies of the neighboring countries. The audit targeted primarily the activities of and cooperation between the institutions, authorities being responsible at the regional level. In addition, the total amount of resources coming into the region for funding the running and capital expenses of nature and environment protection was quantified, and the audit included also an assessment of the cooperation realized between the competent bodies of the countries. The audit strove to find an answer to the question of what influence the above-mentioned resources and activities had on meeting the objectives of environment and nature protection, on the condition of environmental elements (i.e. air, waters, soil). The audit assessed also the risk factors with a potential bearing on the environmental condition of the region in question. The audit covered the government ministry responsible for the governance and control of environment and nature protection, as well as the institutions being under its control and providing specific technical services regionally. Activities of concerned local governments were also covered by the audit. The years 2000-2004 and the first quarter of 2005 were subject to the audit.