History

The adoption in November 2007 of the bill establishing the institution of the Commissioner – formally an amendment to the 1993 Act on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Civil Rights (the Ombudsman Act) – has been preceded by a decade of preparatory work. An early draft of the bill leading to the 1995 General Act on the Environment already foresaw an environmental ombudsman in the early 1990s. However, it was the relentless advocacy and lobbying in the past years of an environmental non-governmental organisation – Védegylet – that has paved the way for forging a unique multi-party coalition in Parliament in favour of the 2007 bill. The project has also enjoyed the pivotal political support of the President of the Republic, Mr László Sólyom, a former member of Védegylet and an active promoter of the rights of future generations.

The amendment on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Future Generations came into force on 1 December 2007. Mr Sándor Fülöp was elected as Commissioner on 26 May 2008 for a term of six years. Recruitment of the personnel of the Office of the Commissioner has been completed in December 2008.