Europe's Fight For Clean Air

Air pollution is a serious issue in Europe, causing approximately 239,000 premature deaths in 2021, according to the European Environment Agency. While air pollution emissions have declined over the last two decades, it remains a significant environmental health risk. To address this issue, the European Union has implemented various measures, including stricter air quality standards, low emission zones, and cleaner fuels. The EU's Zero Pollution Plan, under the European Green Deal, aims to reduce air, water, and soil pollution by 2050 to levels that are no longer harmful to health and ecosystems. This plan includes targets to cut premature deaths from air pollution, reduce ecosystems where biodiversity is threatened, and decrease plastic litter and microplastics. The European Parliament has also adopted stricter air quality standards, with a focus on particulate pollutants, and EU countries are monitoring pollutants like fine particulate matter, black carbon, and ammonia. Additionally, most European cities have Air Quality Action Plans, which may include low emission zones, measures to reduce traffic, and improvements to public transportation.

EU Zero Pollution Plan and Green Deal

The EU Zero Pollution Action Plan, part of the European Green Deal, was adopted by the European Commission on 12 May 2021. The Action Plan aims to strengthen the EU's green, digital and economic leadership, while creating a healthier, socially fairer Europe and planet. It provides a framework for mainstreaming pollution prevention across all relevant EU policies, enhancing the implementation of relevant EU legislation, and identifying potential gaps.

The Zero Pollution Vision for 2050 aims to reduce air, water, and soil pollution to levels no longer considered harmful to health and natural ecosystems. This vision is supported by key 2030 targets to accelerate pollution reduction at the source. The targets include reducing nutrient losses by 50% compared to 2012-2015 levels, as outlined in the Farm-to-Fork and Biodiversity Strategies. The plan also addresses emerging pollutants such as microplastics and micropollutants, including pharmaceuticals.

The EU Action Plan focuses on various areas, including air, chemicals, the circular economy, industrial emissions, the marine and coastal environment, nature and biodiversity, noise, plastics, soil and land, and water. It aims to improve air quality, ensure chemical safety, promote a circular economy, reduce industrial emissions, protect Europe's coasts and oceans, conserve nature, reduce noise pollution, address plastic production and pollution, promote sustainable soil and land use, and address water issues.

To achieve these goals, the EU has implemented various measures, including vehicle Euro standards, cleaner fuels for roads, off-road, and shipping, aircraft policies, and setting EU Air Quality Standards. Local measures include controls on construction sites, improving energy efficiency, encouraging cleaner heating systems, and providing financial incentives for cleaner vehicles. Additionally, most European cities have Air Quality Action Plans, which often include implementing low emission zones and improving travel options with good public transport, cycle facilities, and low-emission car-sharing schemes.

Air Quality Action Plans

Air pollution is a major issue in Europe, causing serious illnesses and even deaths. To tackle this problem, most European cities have implemented Air Quality Action Plans with specific measures to improve air quality. These plans are designed to work in conjunction with national, regional, and EU strategies, and they address the most significant local sources of pollution and ways to reduce them.

One of the most effective measures included in many Air Quality Action Plans is the establishment of low emission zones, which restrict the movement of highly polluting vehicles in certain areas. However, low emission zones are often not enough on their own, and other measures are needed to comprehensively address the issue. These additional measures can include reducing traffic and improving travel options, such as providing good and clean public transport, facilitating cycling through dedicated infrastructure, and implementing low-emission car-sharing schemes.

At the regional and national levels, financial incentives are often provided to encourage the adoption of cleaner vehicles, such as grants or tax breaks. Additionally, there is a focus on improving energy efficiency, as burning less fuel directly leads to reduced emissions. Furthermore, these higher-level plans work to encourage the transition to cleaner heating systems, sometimes through grant funding or by enforcing minimum standards for heating appliances.

The European Union plays a crucial role in reducing air pollution through various strategies, including setting EU Air Quality Standards and vehicle emission standards, as well as regulating cleaner fuels for road, off-road, and shipping use. The EU has also established ambient air quality standards that all member states must strive to achieve, with specific reduction targets for five major air pollutants. To support these efforts, the EU provides financial assistance to countries implementing clean air-related policies.

Stricter air quality standards

Since the 1980s, the EU has adopted strict policies on air quality. The EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directives set air quality standards for 12 air pollutants. These directives also define common methods to monitor, assess and inform the public on ambient air quality in the EU. The European Commission has proposed an updated directive on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, with a key goal being to bring EU standards closer to the stricter World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.

The EU standards currently in force were set out in the 2004 and 2008 Ambient Air Quality Directives. The WHO set its air quality guideline levels in 2021, which are lower than the EU limit and target values. The revised directive, which entered into force on 10 December 2024, sets new and revised air quality standards to be attained by 1 January 2030.

The EU has established ambient air quality standards to be achieved by all EU countries. EU rules set national reduction commitments for five main air pollutants. EU laws regulate emissions of air pollutants from various sources, and bilateral discussions between EU countries and the Commission are held on how to achieve cleaner air.

The European Commission's series of new measures and stricter standards include:

• Cutting by more than half the allowed annual limit value for the main air pollutant – fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
• Updating air quality standards for allowed levels in ambient air for a total of twelve air pollutants, including sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide/nitrogen oxides, particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), ozone, benzene, lead, carbon monoxide, arsenic, cadmium, nickel, and benzo(a)pyrene.
• Regularly reviewing air quality standards, in line with the latest scientific evidence as well as societal and technological developments.
• Ensuring that people suffering from health damage due to air pollution have the right to compensation in the case of a violation of EU air quality rules.

The revised Ambient Air Quality Directive builds on previous policies and aligns EU air quality standards more closely with scientific recommendations. It establishes objectives for ambient air quality through a regular review mechanism to avoid, prevent or reduce harmful effects on human health and the environment. It also guides the assessment of air quality supported by a representative high-quality monitoring network, with more than 4,000 air quality monitoring stations across the EU.

Reducing vehicle emissions

Air pollution is the most significant environmental health risk in Europe, and road transport contributes to 24% of the EU's total emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). Passenger cars and light commercial vehicles (vans) are responsible for around 16% and 3% of total EU emissions, respectively. To tackle this, the EU has implemented a range of measures to reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality.

One key measure is the introduction of low emission zones in most European cities. These zones restrict the entry of highly polluting vehicles, significantly reducing pollution levels. While low emission zones are effective, they are often insufficient on their own, and need to be complemented with other measures. These include improving public transport, promoting cycling, introducing low-emission car-sharing schemes, and implementing town planning initiatives.

The EU has also set ambitious CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and vans, with stricter targets in place since 2020. These regulations have helped reduce average CO2 emissions from new vehicles, with a notable shift towards zero-emission vehicles. The EU aims to achieve a 100% reduction in fleet-wide CO2 emissions by 2035, with interim targets for manufacturers to meet along the way.

In addition to passenger cars and vans, the EU is also addressing emissions from heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs). The EU Green Deal has established emission standards for HDVs, which will become increasingly stringent over time. Manufacturers of these vehicles will need to comply with fleet-wide average CO2 emission targets starting in 2025. Furthermore, the EU has mandated that 90% of new city buses must be zero-emission by 2030, with all new city buses meeting this requirement by 2035.

To support these initiatives, the European Environment Agency collects and publishes data on CO2 emissions and fuel consumption for new vehicles. This data is made available through tools like the Vehicle Energy Consumption Calculation Tool (VECTO), aiding manufacturers in making more informed decisions. The EU is also prioritising the reduction of greenhouse gas intensity in vehicle fuels, with a target to cut it by up to 6% by 2020.

Public awareness campaigns

Additionally, the European Environment Agency (EEA) plays a vital role in monitoring and addressing air quality. The EEA's European Air Quality Index provides real-time information on air quality across Europe, based on data from over 2000 monitoring stations. This index allows citizens to access an interactive map to check the air quality in their area, raising awareness of the issue.

Local governments and organizations also initiate public awareness campaigns. For example, information campaigns encourage turning off engines while stationary ("no idling") and provide general information on air quality levels. These campaigns often coincide with the implementation of low-emission zones, which restrict highly polluting vehicles from certain areas, and the promotion of cleaner travel options, such as good public transport, cycling facilities, and low-emission car-sharing schemes.

Furthermore, financial incentives, such as grants or tax breaks, are offered to encourage the adoption of cleaner vehicles and heating systems. These initiatives aim to educate the public about the impact of their choices on air quality and encourage behavior changes to reduce pollution.

Frequently asked questions