The Hungarian government has overwhelmingly resolved to nationalize the MAL Zrt company responsible for the toxic slurry reservoir which ruptured and covered a vast area of land with highly alkaline metallic wastes.
The death toll from the incident on 5 October which released around 100,000m³ of slurry now stands at eight.
Prime minister Viktor Orbán also announced the arrest of the company's chief executive officer Zoltán Bakonyi on suspicion of endangering the public and harming the environment.
The nationalized company's board will be headed by the head of the government's disaster response service Gyorgy Bakondi.
Hungary has also been visited by European Commission president José Manuel Barroso who discussed the disaster with Mr Orbán.
European civil protection experts from France, Belgium, Sweden, Austria and Germany have meanwhile arrived in Hungary in response to its appeal to the Commission for help. 10 states in the Civil Protection Mechanism responded with offers of up to 40 experts.
They will assess the environmental impact of the sludge, advise on impact prevention, mitigation and reduction, advise on remediation in urban and agricultural areas and assess further needs and risks.
"The quick selection of this team, and the generous offers of member states, clearly shows that European solidarity is working," said crisis response commissioner Kristalina Georgieva.
"In their hour of need, we stand shoulder to shoulder with the Hungarian authorities in their efforts to help the victims of this crisis and to reduce the damage to the environment."
