The draft lays down technical safety requirements applicable to connecting pipelines, user equipment, on-site pipelines, oil-consuming technology systems and gas storage facilities

Draft Decree amending Minister for Innovation and Technology Decree No 16/2018 of 11 November 2018 on the technical safety standards applicable to connecting pipelines, user equipment, on-site pipelines, oil-consuming technology systems and gas storage facilities, and on professional qualifications and experience required to carry out jobs that are significant from the technical and safety point of view, as well as on rules relating to periodic further training of employees in such jobs

In terms of gas user equipment and pipelines, the Ministerial Decree created under the new Act XL of 2008 on natural gas supply necessitated an adaptation to technical progress. The revision was also justified by the enforcement of a regulatory principle in accordance with which the technical safety regulations in Annex 1 of the legislation are to contain normative standards, while non-normative technical requirements (‘industry regulations’) are to be developed and published by sectoral technical committees as technical recommendations.

§ 32(d) and (h) of Government Decree No 365/2016 of 29 November 2016 on the designation of the Government Office of the Capital City Budapest as an authority acting in certain industrial and commercial affairs, as well as on regional metrology authorities and technical safety authorities grant authorisation to the minister responsible for industrial affairs to lay down by decree detailed rules for industrial, agricultural or service gas storage facilities for the storage of combustible gases, not classified as pressure equipment, as well as technical safety requirements, conditions for the construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning of heat generation-heat recovery, gas and oil consuming technology systems, facilities, and the content of technical safety documentation. The purpose of drawing up the technical safety regulations for oil-consuming technology systems and gas storage facilities (Annex 2 to the Decree) is to ensure coherent application of the law by authorities during the enforcement of technical safety requirements (‘safety and reliability’) for the installation and operation of the above-mentioned hazardous equipment and technological systems. The proposal substantially contributes to the falling numbers of accidents and incidents of fire, thereby making it possible to proportionally reduce the extent of such social and economic damages.