Section 1

(1) This Decree shall apply to the establishment, use and registration of geographical names.

(2) Names of locations for public administration purposes shall be regulated in a separate legal regulation.

Section 3

For the purpose of this Decree a geographical names are

a) terrain or regional names: names used to designate surface features of the Earth (mountains, valleys, etc.) and geographical, ethnographic and ethnic regions of a significant size;

b) area names: names used to designate farming and forestry areas and sections thereof, as well as areas defined by other sections of land or other characteristic topological features or facilities, and names for several such areas;

c) hydrographic names: names of natural waterways and artificial canals, standing bodies of water, marshes, springs, wells, etc.;

d) environmental protection names: names of national parks, protected areas, nature preserve areas and caves, to the extent that these fall under Paragraphs a)-c);

e) transportation and communications names: names used for facilities related to transportation and shipping (railway stations, stops, bridges, harbor facilities, etc.) as well as communications facilities (post offices, etc.);

f) internal settlement area names: names used to designate sections, other internal areas, residential areas, recreational areas or therapeutic areas located within the administrative boundary of a settlement;

g) external settlement area names: names used to designate occupied sections of areas of outside of the administrative boundary of a settlement;

h) street names: names used to designate the roads, streets, squares, park, lanes, promenades and other similar public areas within a settlement.

Section 4

(1) For the establishment or alteration of geographical names

a) the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Geographical Names (hereinafter referred to as the "Committee") shall be responsible in respect of the geographical names set forth in Paragraphs a)-e) of Section 3,

b) the representative body of the local government shall be responsible in respect of the geographical names set forth in Paragraphs f)-g) of Section 3, on the basis of Subsection (2) of Section 39 of Htv.

Section 6

(1) In the course of establishing geographical names due consideration shall be given to the following factors: the language spoken by the population affected, the opinion of the local government and social and economic organizations, the results of natural and social sciences, historical traditions, in particular local historical research, the names of destroyed settlements, as well as to the geographic environment, the structure of agriculture and forestry utilization, the national minority situation and linguistic and orthographic conventions.

(4) Within the bounds of compliance with the requirements of Subsection (1), geographical names may also be established in the language of a national minority. In respect of the geographical names falling under Paragraphs a) and d)-h) of Section 3 a Hungarian name shall be established together with the name in the language of the national minority.

Section 8

(2) The Register of Geographical Names shall include the following names:

a) the names of communities and cities pursuant to the Public Administration Guide to Place Names;

b) the geographical names set forth in Paragraphs a)-g) of Section 3 of this Decree, in such names which are established in the language of a national minority as well;

Source: Office for National and Ethnic Minorities in Hungary