In response to the energy crisis caused by the European Union sanctions due to the war in Ukraine, Hungary’s government has issued a decree prohibiting energy sources, including firewood, from being taken out of the country.
István Nagy, Minister of Agriculture, said that in the interest of energy security, the government can regulate and restrict the amount of firewood that can be taken abroad and exercise a pre-emptive right to its purchase. Under the decree, organisations and private individuals exporting firewood are required to report all of their planned sales of firewood abroad to the food safety authority Nébih, which must then notify the agriculture ministry. If the firewood in question is needed in Hungary, the government will exercise its pre-emptive right to buy it. “It is very important that this is not a blanket ban, but rather an emergency regulation aimed at ensuring that Hungarians’ energy needs are met,” the minister said.
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