Hungary forest logging and biomass controversy

In late September 2026, a coalition of environmental organizations, including Greenpeace Hungary and WWF Hungary, petitioned Prime Minister Péter Magyar to extend a temporary logging moratorium. The groups argued that legal frameworks for managing state-owned protected and Natura 2000 forests were insufficient and warned that large-scale logging could resume in October without a transparent roadmap.

By late October, reports emerged indicating that the moratorium had ended and timber from protected forests was being diverted toward exports or inefficient biomass power plants. While the Ministry of Environment cited social needs and long-term contracts as justification for resuming logging, investigations highlighted that the French company Veolia purchased approximately 70 percent of the wood sold from state forests to power plants.

Further analysis linked these business interests to circles associated with former Fidesz advisor Árpád Habony. Additionally, WWF estimates indicated a 90 percent increase in domestic biomass wood consumption at facilities like the Oroszlány Power Plant, with much of the wood being used for electricity generation rather than more efficient district heating.