1. THE ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE COMMISSIONER FOR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND HIS DEPUTIES IN 2019 25 the environment as a means of protecting human health, while the third one is Article XXI, which specifically defines the right to a healthy environment. The year 2019 saw the global strengthening of the need for policy-makers to pay increased attention to the interests of future generations and the preservation of their life conditions, which require decisions that are duly considered, which take into account the principles of precaution and prevention, and point beyond short-term economic interests. Protection of nature and natural capital The traditional financial indices for measuring economic effi- 1.11. THE FOCAL POINTS OF THE ACTIVITY OF THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS, OMBUDSMAN FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS IN 2019 Introduction In his work, the Ombudsman for Future Generations, the Deputy Commissioner for Fundamental Rights responsible for protecting the interests of future generations, primarily focuses on the fundamental rights-related questions concerning the enforcement of three articles of the Fundamental Law of Hungary. The first article in question is Article P), which is about the common national heritage, – including natural and cultural resources, and in relation to this, the protection of future generations. The second one is Article XX, which demonstrates the protection of ciency are not suitable for showing the actual status of natural resources, the ensuing quantitative and qualitative changes, i.e. the effectiveness of protection. The economic value of the common natural heritage of the nation only becomes visible when it is damaged. Thus, the Commissioner and his Deputy contacted the President of the State Audit Office, and proposed the elaboration of a set of criteria by which it becomes possible to assess how the interests of future generations are protected in the management of natural capital. In order to ensure adequate protection, the principles of precaution and prevention should be enforced, in addition to applying the polluter (user) pays principle. The Deputy Commissioner has emphasized several times that the preservation of services provided by nature is also the economic interest of future generations, as the loss of seemingly “free of charge” ecosystem services in some cases cannot be replaced even by costly technological solutions. In order to ensure efficient protection, the changes of our natural resources should also be illustrated in the form of an inventory of assets. Environmental liability One of the fundamental elements of the Deputy Commissioner’s legislative initiative on environmental liability is how the actors of the economy become interested in the prevention of environmental damages and how they take financial responsibility for the environmental damages that they have caused. It is a major goal, in addition to the elimination of the existing environmental damages, to reduce the possibilities for and the consequences of future environmental pollutions. It is the common interest of the present and future generations to achieve that the users of the environment avoid and prevent endangering and deteriorating the condition of the environment in order to ensure that the means required for averting or reducing damage are available, including the funds for the expenses necessary for such intervention. The state is responsible for making the relevant laws, ensuring the necessary conditions, monitoring the behaviour of those who use the environment, including the detection of instances of illegal use of the environment, as well as enforcing commitments, even by taking over performance. The earmarking of funds set up from the already available payments of the users of the environment and/or chapter-managed exProf. Dr. Gyula Bándi, Ombudsman for Future Generations tra-budgetary funds create the financial coverage for this.