The Hungarian accreditation system was initially geared towards a primary objective of assuring minimum quality standards, in particular at the programme level. Accreditation is compulsory in Hungary and disciplinary coomittees have established standard requirements for the accreditation of programmes. The Hungarian exprience, as presented in this report, also sheds light on a number of other aspects of the accreditation procedure. As a system, it notably acts as a buffer between government and the sphere of higher education, playing an important part in the communication of interests. At the same time, because it replaces direct state intervention and control over higher education, the increased autonomy means that strong management support is necessary. It also means that accreditation agencies may be predisposed to developing new policies and collaborating with new partners, thus adding another dimension to their role. This study not only analyzes these and other issues, it also draws lessons that will be of interest to other countries in the process of developing their system of accreditation.