The Hungarian government has put stricter emission caps in place for carcinogenic, gene- and foetal-damaging substances and heavy metals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese.
Anikó Raisz, the state secretary for the environment and circular economy, told public broadcaster M1 that the cap on manganese emissions has been lowered by one-fifth, while those of nickel and cobalt have been halved, among other measures.
Plants already operating in Hungary have until January 2028 to introduce the new limits, while investors awaiting approval for new plants must comply from 2027. The limits must be adhered to as soon as brand new plants come online, she said.
Hungary has maintained EU caps, but the government decided to bring in stricter regulations, she added.
Hungarian law now also obliges plants to prepare environmental impact assessments.