Tuesday, 14 July 2026
Hungary has amended the rules governing construction authority procedures and inspections, restoring public access to selected records held in the country’s electronic construction documentation system.
The amendment to Government Decree No. 281/2024 (IX. 30.) took effect on 30 June 2026. It reinstates the public interface of the electronic documentation system used in construction and heritage protection proceedings, known as ÉTDR. Public access to the system had been discontinued in 2024.
The amendment’s explanatory memorandum states that the earlier restrictions had limited access to information about construction projects and investments of public interest. It also said the restrictions had affected citizens’ ability to exercise their constitutional rights and made related reporting by the media more difficult.
Under the revised rules, anyone can access general information that does not contain personal data. This includes the type and date of a proceeding, the address and land registry number of the property concerned, and the subject of the proposed construction work.
Construction authorities must also publish selected supporting material on the ÉTDR public interface. Depending on the proceeding, this may include a site plan, elevation drawing or visualisation from which personal data has been removed. For demolition applications, authorities must publish photographs of the building and its surroundings.
A summary of the main points of an authority’s decision must be published at the same time as the decision is issued.
The public-access requirements also apply retrospectively to certain records. These include proceedings that were pending when the amendment took effect, information previously available through the ÉTDR public interface up to 15 August 2024, and proceedings initiated between 16 August 2024 and 30 June 2026.
Source: CMS
