Europeanising Hungarian waste policies: Progress or regression?

This contribution examines what joining the European Union implies for Hungary's waste policies and waste practices. After providing a short overview of waste policies under state socialism, I analyse the differences between the waste structure and waste practices of Hungary and the EU. Using interviews and document analysis, this contribution demonstrates that the EU has been sending mixed messages to Hungary. On the one hand, it demands preventative waste policies; on the other hand, it promotes end-of-pipe technologies through aid, temporary exemptions, and EU-constituent corporations that enter the Hungarian market. Overall, compared to the state socialist past, the European Union represents a certain regression to the extent that waste-prevention and recovery are ignored.