Hungary

National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan

Eastern EuropeApplies through 2030Source: 3rd National Biodiversity Strategy

1. Overview

Hungary's 3rd National Biodiversity Strategy sets out the country's plan for biodiversity conservation through 2030, developed in parallel with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and reflecting commitments under the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 [§2]. The strategy was elaborated by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The NBS is organised into three strategic areas — reducing threats to biodiversity, sustainable use and benefit-sharing, and implementation tools — encompassing 19 national commitments* mapped across the full scope of the GBF. Each national commitment includes several national targets† with specific implementation measures and monitoring indicators [§5]. The strategy covers terrestrial, freshwater, and agricultural biodiversity across the Pannonian biogeographical region; Hungary is landlocked and has no marine commitments. It does not address business disclosure (GBF Target 15), sustainable consumption (Target 16), or gender equality (Target 23).

†*Hungary's national targets (e.g., Target 2.1) are sub-commitments under each national commitment, distinct from the 23 GBF Targets.*

Of the 19 national commitments, roughly 12 carry at least one measurable commitment with a quantitative threshold. The strongest cluster is in Strategic Area I (restoration, species, invasive alien species, pollution, GMO safety) and national commitments 10–11 (agriculture, genetic resources). Strategic Area III commitments (17–19) are entirely directional aspirations. No commitments are classified as interim.

Hungary's strategy is shaped by its position as the only EU member state entirely within the Pannonian biogeographical region — a zone covering barely 3% of the EU yet hosting 17% of Habitats Directive species and 36% of Birds Directive species. The 19 national commitments include three ecosystem-specific restoration targets quantified in hectares, a constitutional prohibition on GMO cultivation, and percentage-based expansion targets for what is the world's 17th-largest plant gene bank.

Sources:

§2 — Executive Summary
§5 — Executive Summary > Strategic Area III: Tools and solutions supporting implementation

2. Ecological Context

Hungary's entire territory falls within the Pannonian biogeographical region, which covers hardly 3% of the EU yet hosts 226 species (17%) of the 1,301 animal and plant species listed in the Habitats Directive annexes, and 278 species (36%) of the 768 bird species listed in the Birds Directive [§11]. The NBSAP frames this singularity as the strategic rationale for the country's approach: the majority of the Pannonian region's natural assets are located in areas under agricultural cultivation, making farming methods a fundamental determinant of biodiversity outcomes [§19].

Agricultural land covers more than 49,000 km² (53% of the territory), with arable lands extending over 4.3 million hectares [§19]. The Pannonian grassland complex — including salt steppes, sand steppes, lowland hay meadows, and loess steppic grasslands — carries "numerous endemic flora and fauna elements" and "valuable relics" of the biogeographical region [§19]. The Natura 2000 grassland share is more than double the EU average, extending over 500,000 hectares [§10]. The Farmland Bird Index shows a continuously decreasing trend in common agricultural bird species, though this decline has stopped in the last ten years [§19].

Forest cover stands at 20.8%, with 40% of Hungarian forests planted in the past 70 years, mainly on agricultural land [§26]. Native tree species comprise almost 70% of forest stands, with 23.53% covered by black locust and 5.4% by hybrid poplar [§26]. Fifty-six forest reserves have been designated on 12,776 hectares, including Hungary's only "virgin forest" — the 42.9-hectare core area of the Kékes Forest Reserve [§10].

A defining hydrological feature is that 95% of surface waters originate beyond Hungary's borders [§29]. Nineteen percent of potential vegetation would be alluvial forest, but river regulation over recent centuries has reduced this to 0.8% [§29]. Six native fish species have completely disappeared from Hungarian waters — beluga sturgeon, starry sturgeon, Russian sturgeon, bastard sturgeon, Pontic shad, and naturally occurring eels — unable to reach Hungary due to downstream habitat conversion, primarily the Iron Gate I dam, and past overfishing [§28]. Non-native fish now make up roughly one-third of approximately 90 species [§28].

The National Ecological Network covers 36% of the country, consisting of core areas interconnected by ecological corridors and surrounded by buffer zones [§10]. In 2021, 22.6% of Hungary's territory was under legal protection, comprising nationally important protected areas (9.1%), the Natura 2000 network (1.99 million hectares, 21.39%), and locally important protected areas (0.45%) [§10]. Six UNESCO biosphere reserves have been designated, including the Five-country Mura-Drava-Danube Transboundary Biosphere Reserve spanning Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, and Slovenia [§10]. Hungary has 29 Ramsar sites covering 243,000 hectares [§29].

Big game populations (red deer, fallow deer, roe deer, mouflon, wild boar) have been increasing almost exponentially since the 1960s, currently estimated at 600,000–650,000 individuals, greatly exceeding sustainable densities [§27]. In contrast, the grey partridge is "on the verge of extinction, with hardly any viable populations remaining in the country" [§27]. Wolves were first detected in northern Hungary in the early 2000s; the NBSAP describes the wolf's return as "a positive development for the biodiversity of Hungary" [§27].

Sources:

§10 — 2 Status Assessment > Natural and near-natural areas
§11 — 2 Status Assessment > Status of habitats and species
§19 — 2 Status Assessment > Agriculture
§26 — 2 Status Assessment > Forest management
§27 — 2 Status Assessment > Game management
§28 — 2 Status Assessment > Fisheries management
§29 — 2 Status Assessment > Water management

3. National Commitments and GBF Alignment

Hungary's 19 national commitments are organised into three strategic areas. The following groups them by thematic cluster for navigability.

Conditions of Nature (National Commitments 1–3)

National commitment 1 — Protected areas and Natura 2000 sites. The strategy commits to increasing the size of areas under protection, with protected areas and strict protection defined in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and European Commission guidelines [§32]. It commits to improving connectivity through green infrastructure and preparing management plans for all Natura 2000 sites with site-specific objectives and measures [§32]. Maps to GBF Targets 3 and 1. Measurability: Directional aspiration — defers to the EU target without stating a national percentage threshold.

National commitment 2 — Ecosystem restoration. Three area-specific restoration targets [§32]:

At least 34,000 hectares of wetlands restored
At least 35,000 hectares of permanent grasslands restored
At least 135,000 hectares of forest ecosystems restored

For context, habitat restoration and long-term management interventions were carried out on approximately 117,000 hectares during 2014–2020 using EU funds [§32]. Maps to GBF Target 2. Measurability: Measurable commitment — three quantified hectare targets.

National commitment 3 — Species conservation. At least 30% of species of community interest currently in unfavourable or poor conservation status will reach favourable conservation status or show signs of recovery [§33]. Additional national targets address protected species not listed in the Habitats Directive and certain non-protected key species [§33]. Maps to GBF Target 4. Measurability: Measurable commitment — percentage threshold defined. Indicators include the number and percentage of species with favourable or improving status.

Pressures (National Commitments 4–9)

National commitment 4 — Invasive alien species. Areas managed against invasive plant and animal species to increase by 50% [§33]. Additional national targets address preventing introduction of newly emerging IAS, promulgating a national IAS list, and prohibiting commercial circulation of ornamental species with invasive properties [§33]. Of the 66 species on the EU IAS inventory, the 33 recorded in Hungary's wild include 17 plants, 5 arthropods, 4 mammals, 3 fish, 3 birds, and 1 reptile [§18]. Maps to GBF Target 6. Measurability: Measurable commitment — 50% increase threshold. Indicator: size of managed areas.

National commitment 5 — Species threatened by commercial exploitation. The strategy commits to launching a National Environmental Security Taskforce and assessing wild populations of CITES-listed species to determine sustainable exploitation levels [§33, §34]. Maps to GBF Targets 5 and 9. Measurability: Directional aspiration — institutional action without quantitative threshold.

National commitment 6 — Pollution reduction. Full prohibition on the use of neonicotinoids in crops attracting pollinators [§33]. Nutrient leaching to be reduced by 50% [§33]. Farmers are required to prepare individual Farmers' Soil Conservation Programmes by 31 December 2025 [§22]. Hungary reduced the use and risk of chemical pesticides by 25% by 2019 relative to the 2015–2017 baseline, with active ingredient use at 1.49 kg/ha in 2019, down from a peak of 5.6 kg/ha in 1985–1989 [§23]. Maps to GBF Target 7. Measurability: Measurable commitment — neonicotinoid ban is binary; nutrient leaching carries a 50% reduction threshold. Indicators include pesticide use volume and nutrient levels.

National commitment 7 — GMO safety. "Total prohibition of the cultivation of genetically modified crops" [§33], a status enshrined in the Fundamental Law of Hungary [§24]. No genetically modified crops have ever been cultivated in the country. At least 30% of authorised gene technology activities to be inspected annually [§33]. The strategy also addresses detection methods for organisms obtained by new genomic techniques, noting more than 130 NGT-related contained-use activities across approximately 100 facilities [§24]. Maps to GBF Target 17. Measurability: Measurable commitment — prohibition is binary; inspection threshold is quantified.

National commitment 8 — Pollinator conservation. The strategy commits to launching a national monitoring programme for wild pollinators harmonised with EU methodology, including developing a national methodology protocol and sampling network [§33, §34]. Twelve native bumblebee species and 290 butterfly species are protected [§20]. Maps to GBF Target 7 (pollution linkage) and Target 4 (species). Measurability: Directional aspiration — programme launch, not outcome threshold.

National commitment 9 — Climate change and biodiversity. The strategy commits to assessing future climate–biodiversity risks, comparing carbon sequestration capacity of different habitat types, and encouraging restoration of peatlands including their "removal from agricultural use and conversion to other land use types" [§34]. Maps to GBF Target 8. Measurability: Directional aspiration — assessment and resilience actions without quantified outcome targets.

Sustainable Use (National Commitments 10–16)

National commitment 10 — Sustainable farming. Three quantified sub-targets: a coherent network of landscape elements with high biodiversity on at least 10% of the territory; organic farming area increased to 15% (from 6.12% / 301,430 hectares in 2020); and High Nature Value Areas increased to 400,000 hectares [§34]. The strategy integrates biodiversity into the Common Agricultural Policy through eco-schemes, agri-environmental payments, Natura 2000 compensatory allowances, and a network of green advisors [§34]. Maps to GBF Target 10. Measurability: Measurable commitment — three quantified targets with defined thresholds.

National commitment 11 — Genetic resources. Detailed, quantified sub-targets for plant and animal genetic resources (see flex section below). Maps to GBF Target 13. Measurability: Measurable commitment — multiple quantified sub-targets across four taxa.

National commitment 12 — Forest conservation. Afforestation using native species suited to predicted climatic conditions, with mixed species composition [§34]. Survival of old-growth forests ensured; timber management abandoned in strictly protected stands [§34]. Promotion of stands "rich in standing and lying dead trees of at least 30 cm in diameter, with a diverse horizontal and vertical structure" [§35]. Maps to GBF Target 10. Measurability: Directional aspiration — qualitative criteria without area targets.

National commitment 13 — Sustainable game and fisheries management. Regional big game management objectives to be implemented [§35]. Fish conservation measures include strengthening populations of exploited but endangered species (sterlet, crucian carp, tench, Volga pikeperch), constructing fish passes, and establishing sanctuaries at wintering and breeding areas [§35]. Hunting reserves to be prohibited in protected areas and Natura 2000 sites [§35]. Maps to GBF Targets 5 and 9. Measurability: Directional aspiration.

National commitment 14 — Sustainable water management. The strategy commits to revitalising traditional floodplain management (fokgazdálkodás) — a named historical Hungarian water management practice — to restore lateral discharge and ensure balanced water supply to floodplains [§35]. Additional measures include restoring natural river functions in the Mura-Drava-Danube Biosphere Reserve, restoring oxbow lakes, and developing a sediment management design system for large rivers [§35]. Maps to GBF Target 11. Measurability: Directional aspiration.

National commitment 15 — Green infrastructure. Green infrastructure development plans at national and regional scale [§35]. Urban green infrastructure elements to be incorporated into municipal plans and local building regulations; uniform data provision for cities with more than 20,000 inhabitants [§35, §36]. The strategy also commits to prohibiting fireworks and internal combustion engine racing in near-natural urban areas categorised as wetlands or migratory bird resting and feeding areas [§35]. Maps to GBF Target 12. Measurability: Directional aspiration.

National commitment 16 — Ecosystem services. Ecosystem services to be evaluated, mapped, and integrated into sectoral decision-making processes [§36]. The Ecosystem Map of Hungary, at 20×20 metre resolution with 56 ecosystem categories, provides the data foundation [§36]. Maps to GBF Target 11 and Target 14. Measurability: Directional aspiration.

Implementation Tools (National Commitments 17–19)

National commitment 17 — Evidence-based conservation. The National Biodiversity Monitoring System to be reviewed; citizen science involvement in data collection to be increased; research and monitoring results to be published and disseminated [§36]. Maps to GBF Targets 20 and 21. Measurability: Directional aspiration.

National commitment 18 — Awareness and attitudes. Programmes include the Eco-School and Green Kindergarten networks, forest kindergarten and forest school programmes, a green education package for all ages, and digital infrastructure for biodiversity knowledge transfer [§37]. Maps to GBF Target 22 (broadly). Measurability: Directional aspiration.

National commitment 19 — International cooperation. The strategy commits to establishing the Mura-Drava-Danube Transboundary Biosphere Reserve, continuing participation in IPBES and the European Biodiversity Partnership, maintaining Visegrád Four expert consultation, and continuing Hungary's Green Bond issuance with annual volume tracked as an indicator [§37]. Maps to GBF Targets 19 and 20. Measurability: Directional aspiration — Green Bond issuance has an annual indicator but no target amount.

Sources:

§18 — 2 Status Assessment > Invasive alien species
§20 — 2 Status Assessment > Agriculture > Pollinators
§22 — 2 Status Assessment > Agriculture > Soil conservation
§23 — 2 Status Assessment > Agriculture > Pesticide use
§24 — 2 Status Assessment > Agriculture > Genetically modified organisms
§32 — Strategic Area I (Objectives 1–2)
§33 — Strategic Area I (Objectives 3–8)
§34 — Strategic Area I (Objectives 8–12)
§35 — Strategic Area I (Objectives 12–14)
§36 — Strategic Area I (Objectives 15–17)
§37 — Objective 18–19

4. Delivery Architecture

Legislation

The strategy's legislative base includes the Nature Conservation Act, which incorporated the concept of ecosystem services in 2017; Act CXXIX of 2007 on the protection of arable land; the IAS legislative package (Act CXXXVII of 2016, Government Decree 408/2016, Government Resolution 1738/2016) transposing the EU IAS Regulation across six enforcement sectors [§18]; and the Fundamental Law of Hungary, which prohibits GM crop cultivation outright [§24].

Programmes and Strategies

The Gene conservation strategy (Government Resolution 1049/2018), launched in 2019, provides five-year development support for gene conservation institutions [§25]. The National Plant Protection Action Plan for 2019–2023 promotes integrated pest management and alternative technologies, reviewed every five years by the Plant Protection Committee [§23]. The Soil Conservation Action Plan (SCAP) requires all farmers to prepare individual conservation programmes by 31 December 2025, supported by a centrally elaborated protocol and the planned Talajweb soil conservation database [§22]. The Hungarian River Basin Management Plan addresses water-dependent habitats in Natura 2000 sites [§35].

Agricultural Integration

Biodiversity measures are integrated into the Common Agricultural Policy through a basic eco-scheme, agri-environmental payment schemes with species-specific and zonal targeting, compensatory allowances for Natura 2000 grassland and arable land, and a network of green advisors [§34]. The CAP direct payment eligibility has been expanded to include protective forest strips, tree plantations, woody/shrub strips, hedge rows, uncultivated field margins, riparian zones, and wetlands [§34].

Market and Finance Mechanisms

The GMO-free food trademark system, operated by the state-owned Food Chain Security Center Nonprofit Ltd., certifies products for a GMO-free food chain [§24]. The National Park Product trademark system supports consumer awareness of local products from protected areas [§37]. Hungary's Green Bond programme tracks annual issuance volume as a formal biodiversity indicator [§37].

Education and Outreach

Instruments include the Eco-School and Green Kindergarten networks, nature school accreditation, forest kindergarten and forest school programmes, and a planned green education package for students and teachers of all ages [§37].

Sources:

§18 — 2 Status Assessment > Invasive alien species
§22 — 2 Status Assessment > Agriculture > Soil conservation
§23 — 2 Status Assessment > Agriculture > Pesticide use
§24 — 2 Status Assessment > Agriculture > Genetically modified organisms
§25 — 2 Status Assessment > Agriculture > Genetic resources, agrobiodiversity
§34 — Strategic Area I (Objectives 8–12)
§35 — Strategic Area I (Objectives 12–14)
§37 — Objective 18–19

4a. Gene Conservation: From Tápiószele to the Pannonian Seed Bank

Hungary's gene conservation infrastructure is a distinctive national asset woven through the strategy's status assessment, action portfolio, and multiple national commitments. The National Centre for Biodiversity and Gene Conservation (NCBGC) coordinates nationally through two pillars [§25].

The Plant Genetic Resources Institute (PGRI) at Tápiószele is the 17th-largest plant gene bank in the world and 8th in Europe, conserving nearly 133,000 gene bank samples representing 57,003 unique items as of 2020 — covering crops, fodder crops, vegetables, ornamental plants, fruits, vines, wild relatives, and wild plants [§25]. The Institute for Farm Animal Conservation (IFAC) at Gödöllő manages 14 poultry breeds as in vivo and in vitro national gene bank, plus the Hungarian giant rabbit in vivo, with an expanding DNA bank of around 11,200 samples from poultry, sheep, cattle, horse, rabbit, and dog breeds [§25].

National park directorates contribute through maintaining living populations of traditional Hungarian breeds — Hungarian water buffalo, Hungarian grey cattle, Racka, Cigája, and Cikta sheep, Hucul, Furioso North Star, and Muraközi horses, and dog breeds including the Pumi and Puli — fulfilling gene conservation and conservation management by grazing together [§25]. Currently, 68 fruit and 13 vegetable landraces are officially recognised in the National Register of Varieties [§25].

The strategy commits to quantified expansion targets across four areas of genetic resources [§34]:

Plant genetic resources: Increase collections in public gene banks by 10%; make available at least 50% of plant genetic resource collections; establish at least 50 new demonstration gardens; increase registered landraces by 30%.

Farm animal genetic resources: Increase in vitro duplicates by 30%; increase fish gene bank samples by 25%; increase Pannonian honeybee genetic material samples by 50%. A new national, state-operated in vitro gene bank is to be established, along with safety in vivo duplicate populations for specific breeds including Carpathian Brown cattle, Cikta sheep, and Hungarian Yellow chicken [§34].

Breed recognition: The strategy commits to state recognition of Polled Zackel (Suta Racka) sheep, Yellow-headed Tsigai from Covasna, and Transylvanian spotted turkey as native farm animal breeds, and to establishing a Black Mangalica nucleus population maintained by the state [§34].

Wild plant conservation: The Pannonian Seed Bank is to continue long-term operation and expansion to preserve wild native plant species [§34].

Sources:

§25 — 2 Status Assessment > Agriculture > Genetic resources, agrobiodiversity
§34 — Strategic Area I (Objectives 8–12)

5. Monitoring and Accountability

Implementation tracking rests on a two-stage evaluation cycle: an interim evaluation in 2025 and an ex-post evaluation in 2031, one year after the end of the implementation period [§39]. Both evaluation reports are to be made publicly available on the national CBD website (biodiv.hu) [§39]. The strategy states that "the implementation of the Strategy, the effectiveness of the objectives and measures, and professional performance should be continuously evaluated, and the adequacy of the measures should be reviewed where necessary" [§39].

The National Biodiversity Monitoring System (NBMS) provides the data infrastructure. The strategy commits to reviewing the NBMS in line with EU and international monitoring and reporting obligations, increasing citizen science involvement in data collection, and ensuring that monitoring data are "systematically stored and made available in an appropriately regulated framework" [§36]. Each of the 19 national commitments carries between one and six named indicators, covering area-based measures, population counts, percentage thresholds, and institutional outputs such as the number of conservation plans, management plans, and inspections conducted [§32–§36].

Additional data infrastructure includes the Ecosystem Map of Hungary (20×20m resolution, 56 ecosystem categories, freely available online), the National Forest Database, and the Forest Protection Measuring and Observation System encompassing health assessment, intensive monitoring, a national light trap network, forest protection forecasting, and climate change monitoring [§36].

Implementation relies on cross-sectoral coordination. Agriculture, forestry, game and fisheries management, food chain inspectorate, water management, and nature conservation are named as jointly responsible for IAS pathway action plan implementation [§33]. A network of green advisors ensures implementation of biodiversity measures under the CAP Strategic Plan [§34].

Stakeholder engagement is addressed through Objective 18, which commits to assessing biodiversity knowledge across Hungarian society and strengthening cooperation among governmental and non-governmental organisations, educational institutions, research institutions, churches, art institutions, and municipalities [§37]. Citizen science is integrated into the monitoring architecture, with indicators tracking the number of data collected and validated in community data collection programmes per year [§37].

Sources:

§32–§36 — Strategic Area I–III (indicators across all objectives)
§37 — Objective 18
§39 — 5 Tracking the implementation of the strategy

6. Finance and Resource Mobilisation

The NBSAP does not include aggregate cost estimates, dedicated budget allocations, or a resource mobilisation strategy with specific funding targets [§38]. It contains no total implementation cost, no year-by-year budget projection, no specific currency amounts allocated to biodiversity objectives, no assessment of the financing gap, and no discussion of harmful subsidy reform.

The strategy maps each of its 19 national commitments to eligible funding types through a matrix table [§38]. Funding categories include: specific Hungarian budgetary funds, ERDF, EMFF, the Common Agricultural Policy, LIFE, Horizon Europe, the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), and other international or private funding. Budgetary funds are identified for 14 of the 19 national commitments; the RRF is indicated only for ecosystem restoration and forests [§38]. The strategy states that "it does not impose legislative obligations, but the objectives must be supported by the legislative process" and "can only be implemented if future legislation and sectoral measures consider its objectives" [§38].

Under national commitment 19, the strategy commits to continuing Hungary's Green Bond issuance, with annual issuance volume tracked as a monitoring indicator [§37]. This is one of the few NBSAPs to include a green finance instrument with a formal monitoring indicator for biodiversity.

GBF Target 19 (finance mobilisation) receives treatment through the funding matrix and the Green Bond commitment but does not include an aggregate mobilisation target or amount.

Sources:

§37 — Objective 19
§38 — 4 The tools for achieving the strategic objectives

7. GBF Target Coverage

Target 1: Spatial planning — Addressed

The NBSAP addresses spatial planning through the National Ecological Network, covering 36% of the territory, and the National Land Use Plan defining land use rules at county and municipal levels for ecological network zones. National commitment 1 (Target 1.2) commits to improving connectivity through identifying green infrastructure development objectives and ensuring through regulatory instruments that green corridors and ecological connectivity are maintained during construction or development projects. National commitment 15 calls for elaborating green infrastructure development plans at national and regional scale, prioritising brownfield sites to avoid loss of natural habitats.

Target 2: Ecosystem restoration — Addressed

The strategy sets quantified restoration targets: at least 34,000 hectares of wetlands, 35,000 hectares of permanent grasslands, and 135,000 hectares of forest ecosystems. For 2014–2020, habitat restoration was carried out on approximately 117,000 hectares using EU funds. Wetland measures include water retention infrastructure, dismantling artificial embankments, and creating new wetlands. Grassland restoration includes reintroducing or translocating characteristic species. Forest restoration includes site-specific restoration of degraded steppic woods and promoting enriched structures among private managers. Indicators include hectares of each ecosystem type affected by restoration.

Target 3: Protected areas (30x30) — Addressed

As of 2021, 22.6% of Hungary's territory is under legal protection: 9.1% as nationally important protected areas, 21.39% as Natura 2000 (1.99 million hectares), and 0.45% as locally important areas. The strategy commits to an inventory of sites suitable for achieving the EU target, in consultation with stakeholders and based on European Commission guidelines. It does not state a national 30% target. Management plans exist for 89% (470 of 525) Natura 2000 sites; the strategy commits to preparing plans for all sites with site-specific objectives and measures. Six UNESCO biosphere reserves and 56 forest reserves (12,776 hectares) are designated.

Target 4: Species recovery — Addressed

National commitment 3 commits that at least 30% of species of community interest in unfavourable status will reach favourable conservation status or show recovery. The six extirpated fish species are identified. The strategy includes reintroduction and translocation measures for habitat-characteristic species, and strengthening populations of exploited endangered fish (sterlet, crucian carp, tench, Volga pikeperch). The Tápiószele gene bank and the gene conservation strategy support genetic diversity preservation. Indicators include the number and percentage of species with favourable or improving status.

Target 5: Sustainable harvest — Addressed

The strategy addresses sustainable harvest through national commitments 5 and 13. Regional game management has been operational since 2017. Big game populations, estimated at 600,000–650,000 individuals, are managed to reduce density. The strategy commits to halting the decline of native small game species, designating special water areas for fish conservation, constructing fish passes, and establishing sanctuaries. Hungary's position on the "Balkan Route" gives it a role in intercepting illegal wildlife trade; a National Environmental Security Taskforce is to be launched.

Target 6: Invasive alien species — Addressed

National commitment 4 commits to increasing managed areas by 50%. Of 66 EU-listed IAS, 33 are recorded in Hungary's wild. Legislation has been harmonised across sectors through Act CXXXVII of 2016, Government Decree 408/2016, and Government Resolution 1738/2016. Area cleared of IAS in protected and Natura 2000 sites increased from 4,768 hectares (2015) to 5,172 hectares (2017). Pathway analysis and action plans were completed in 2020. In forests, 23.53% of area is covered by black locust alone. Indicators include the size of managed areas covered by IAS.

Target 7: Pollution reduction — Addressed

National commitment 6 commits to full prohibition of neonicotinoids in pollinator-attracting crops and 50% reduction in nutrient leaching. The demonstrated 25% reduction in pesticide use and risk by 2019 (versus 2015–2017) provides a baseline. Active ingredient use stands at 1.49 kg/ha, down from 5.6 kg/ha in 1985–1989. The Soil Conservation Action Plan requires individual Farmers' Soil Conservation Programmes by 31 December 2025. A planned Talajweb database will monitor soil conditions. Indicators include pesticide volumes, nutrient levels, and number of conservation programmes completed.

Target 8: Climate and biodiversity — Addressed

National commitment 9 commits to assessing climate–biodiversity correlations, comparing carbon sequestration capacity of different habitat types, and encouraging peatland restoration including removal from agricultural use. The strategy is aligned with the Paris Agreement. The SWOT analysis identifies increasing climatic extremities as a threat. The ecosystem services assessment includes CO₂ sequestration and microclimate regulation among 12 evaluated services. A climate change monitoring system is identified as an existing institutional capability.

Target 9: Wild species use — Mentioned

The NBSAP does not specifically address benefits for indigenous peoples or vulnerable populations from wild species use as framed by GBF Target 9. However, national commitment 13 commits to ensuring sustainable game and fisheries management that does not compromise biodiversity regeneration, and regional game management has been operational since 2017.

Target 10: Agriculture / forestry — Addressed

The strategy commits to 10% of the territory as landscape elements with high biodiversity, 15% organic farming (from 6.12% in 2020), and 400,000 hectares of High Nature Value Areas. Biodiversity is mainstreamed into the CAP through eco-schemes, agri-environmental payments, and green advisors. National commitment 12 addresses forest conservation through native-species afforestation, old-growth forest protection, and promotion of structurally complex stands. Continuous forest cover management reached 183,288 hectares by 2020. The grassland share in the Natura 2000 network is more than double the EU average.

Target 11: Ecosystem services (NbS) — Addressed

The Ecosystem Map of Hungary (20×20m resolution, 56 categories) underpins a four-tier cascade methodology for evaluating 12 ecosystem services. The ecosystem services concept was incorporated into the Nature Conservation Act in 2017. National commitment 16 commits to integrating ecosystem services assessments into the strategic planning of ten named sectors. National commitment 14 addresses nature-based solutions through water management, including restoring natural river functions and revitalising traditional floodplain management (fokgazdálkodás).

Target 12: Urban biodiversity — Addressed

National commitment 15 (Target 15.2) addresses urban green infrastructure through a set of measures: municipal green infrastructure guides; incorporation into local building regulations; quality objectives for green space in all municipalities; uniform data provision for cities over 20,000 inhabitants; and brownfield utilisation through green space creation. The strategy includes a specific prohibition on fireworks and internal combustion engine vehicle racing in near-natural urban areas categorised as wetlands or migratory bird resting and feeding areas.

Target 13: Genetic resources / ABS — Addressed

National commitment 11 covers access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing. The gene conservation strategy (Government Resolution 1049/2018) supports the NCBGC through two pillars: PGRI at Tápiószele (17th-largest gene bank in the world, nearly 133,000 samples) and IFAC at Gödöllő. Quantified expansion targets include: plant genetic resources +10%, collections availability 50%, 50 new demonstration gardens, landraces +30%, in vitro animal duplicates +30%, fish samples +25%, honeybee samples +50%. A new state-operated in vitro gene bank is to be established.

Target 14: Mainstreaming — Addressed

Mainstreaming is identified as the "key objective" of the entire strategy. National commitment 16 commits to mapping planning and decision-making processes in ten sectors (conservation, environment, spatial planning, urban development, transport, construction, agriculture, forestry, water protection, water management) and integrating ecosystem services assessments into their strategic planning. The strategy is aligned with the National Framework Strategy on Sustainable Development, the 5th National Environmental Programme, and the 5th National Conservation Plan.

Target 15: Business disclosure — Not identified

Content addressing GBF Target 15 was not identified in this NBSAP.

Target 16: Sustainable consumption — Not identified

Content addressing GBF Target 16 was not identified in this NBSAP.

Target 17: Biosafety — Addressed

Hungary's constitutional GMO-free status is the centrepiece: the Fundamental Law prohibits GM crop cultivation, and no GM crops have ever been grown. A state-owned GMO-free food trademark and certification system is operational through the Food Chain Security Center Nonprofit Ltd. The strategy commits to inspecting at least 30% of authorised gene technology activities annually and developing detection methods for NGT-derived organisms. More than 130 NGT-related contained-use activities are conducted in approximately 100 facilities, most involving basic research.

Target 18: Harmful subsidies — Mentioned

The NBSAP does not include a commitment to identify or reform biodiversity-harmful subsidies. The SWOT analysis identifies "mainstreaming the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services into the design of subsidy schemes" as an opportunity and acknowledges that without compensation for lost revenue, less biodiversity-friendly farming will prevail on private land.

Target 19: Finance mobilisation — Addressed

A funding matrix maps all 19 national commitments to EU and national sources (ERDF, CAP, LIFE, Horizon Europe, RRF, EMFF, budgetary funds, private). The strategy commits to continuing Green Bond issuance, with annual volume tracked as a monitoring indicator. No aggregate mobilisation target or amount is specified. The strategy states that implementation requires "sufficient financial resources and a supportive regulatory environment."

Target 20: Capacity and technology — Addressed

National commitments 17, 18, and 19 address capacity-building. The NBMS is under formal review. A green education package for all ages is to be developed. Teacher training courses on biodiversity are to be launched. International cooperation includes IPBES participation, involvement in the European Biodiversity Partnership, and Visegrád Four expert consultation.

Target 21: Data and information — Addressed

Data infrastructure includes the Ecosystem Map (20×20m, freely available online), the National Forest Database, the Forest Protection Measuring and Observation System (10+ monitoring components), and the planned Talajweb soil database. National commitment 17 commits to systematic data storage and availability, increased citizen science data collection, and cross-sectoral data sharing for ecosystem assessments.

Target 22: Inclusive participation — Mentioned

The NBSAP does not address the equitable participation of indigenous peoples and local communities, women, youth, or persons with disabilities as framed by GBF Target 22. National commitment 18 addresses broad public engagement through cooperation with governmental and non-governmental organisations, educational institutions, churches, and municipalities, and through targeted communication for landowners and farmers in protected areas.

Target 23: Gender equality — Not identified

Content addressing GBF Target 23 was not identified in this NBSAP.

Translated from Hungarian