Hungary moves to slash billboard ads in major cities

Budapest’s city council voted on June 26 to cut the number of billboard sites from about 15,000 to 10,000, ban giant billboards and reduce advertising columns to one‑fifth of their current level by the end of the year. Similar restrictions are being introduced in other Hungarian cities. Szeged’s council launched a revision of its local‑image regulation, prohibiting ads on protected buildings, historic sites and nature reserves; the city‑owned ad company reported revenues of over 102 million forints last year, a rise of more than 5 percent. Békéscsaba’s municipality earns roughly 12.8 million forints annually from ad‑space sales, while the city of Kaposvár plans to eliminate giant billboards completely. Zalaegerszeg’s ad spaces are managed by private firms under city‑scape rules. The national law now grants municipalities broad autonomy to designate zones where outdoor advertising is forbidden, with a deadline of 31 December for removal of existing units.