Europe's Fight Against Air Pollution: Strategies And Actions

Air pollution is the number one environmental health problem in the EU, causing serious illnesses such as asthma, cardiovascular and respiratory problems, lung cancer, and premature deaths, with vulnerable groups affected the most. It also damages the environment and ecosystems through excess nitrogen pollution and acid rain, and poses a danger to biodiversity. To tackle this, the EU has implemented the Zero Pollution Action Plan, which aims to improve air quality and protect human health and the environment. This includes setting stricter air quality standards and targets for particulate pollutants, as well as reducing emissions from key sectors such as transport, energy production, agriculture, and domestic heating. The EU is also working towards international cooperation to tackle transboundary air pollution and has established the Ambient Air Quality Directives, which set air quality standards for 12 air pollutants.

Stricter air quality standards

Europe has implemented a range of stricter air quality standards and regulations to combat air pollution and protect human health and the environment. These standards are outlined in the EU's Ambient Air Quality Directives, which focus on reducing the public's exposure to harmful pollutants.

The Ambient Air Quality Directives set specific standards and limit values for various air pollutants, including fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide, benzene, benzo(a)pyrene, arsenic, cadmium, nickel, and lead. These directives are legally binding, and non-compliance can result in penalties and compensation for affected citizens.

One of the key aspects of the directives is the introduction of stricter limit values for particulate matter, which refers to tiny particles or droplets that can enter the bloodstream through respiration. These particles include organic chemicals, dust, soot, and metals, and exposure to them has been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as cancer. The directives aim to reduce the limit values for PM2.5, which are the most harmful type of particulate matter, by more than half by 2030.

In addition to the directives, the EU has also adopted the National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive (NECD). This directive sets national emission reduction commitments for Member States for five key air pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ammonia (NH3), and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). These pollutants have significant negative impacts on both human health and the environment, and reducing their emissions is crucial for improving air quality.

To ensure compliance with these stricter air quality standards, the European Commission has strengthened the provisions on air quality monitoring and modelling. This includes the use of more than 4,000 air quality monitoring stations across Europe, which provide reliable and comparable data on air pollutant concentrations. This data is made accessible to the public through the European Air Quality Index, an interactive map that allows citizens to check the air quality in their area.

Reducing premature deaths

Air pollution is the number one environmental health problem in the EU, causing serious illnesses such as asthma, cardiovascular problems, and lung cancer. Vulnerable groups are affected the most. In 2020, exposure to particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns caused the premature death of at least 238,000 people in the EU, according to the European Environment Agency. To tackle this issue, the EU has set the following goals:

• Cutting premature deaths from air pollution by more than 55% by 2030.
• Reducing EU ecosystems where air pollution threatens biodiversity by 25%.

Stricter air quality standards and rules

The European Parliament has adopted stricter air quality standards with targets for particulate pollutants as part of the zero-pollution ambition set out in the EU's European Green Deal. In April 2024, the Parliament also adopted new rules to improve air quality in the EU, setting stricter targets for several pollutants, including particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and ozone.

Monitoring pollutants

EU countries will need to monitor pollutants that have proved to have a negative impact on health and the environment, such as ultrafine particles, black carbon, mercury, and ammonia, where high concentrations are likely to occur.

Reviewing standards

The Commission should review EU standards by the end of 2030 to align them with the guidelines of the World Health Organization and the latest scientific evidence, if needed.

Clean Air Fund

The Clean Air Fund works with partners in the EU to campaign for new clean air policies and measures that will save and improve lives. They have supported initiatives such as the Polish Smog Alert campaign for a ban on dirty-coal heating stoves and Za Zemiata's campaign for action on air pollution in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.

Low Emission Zones (LEZ)

Many European cities have implemented Low Emission Zones to reduce pollution by stopping the most polluting vehicles from travelling in certain areas. While LEZs can significantly impact air quality, they often do not solve the problem alone and need to be combined with other measures.

Protecting ecosystems and biodiversity

The EU has recognised that air pollution is the number one environmental health problem in the EU, and it is also a major cause of biodiversity loss. To tackle this, the EU has a comprehensive clean air policy based on three pillars: ambient air quality standards, reducing air pollution emissions, and emissions standards for key sources of pollution.

The EU's Zero Pollution Action Plan, a key deliverable of the European Green Deal, has set a target of reducing by 25% the number of ecosystems where air pollution threatens biodiversity by 2030. This is part of the EU's zero pollution vision for 2050, which aims to reduce air, water and soil pollution to levels no longer considered harmful to natural ecosystems.

The EU's Ambient Air Quality Directives set standards to protect vegetation from air pollution, including a target value and a long-term objective for ozone, and critical levels for nitrogen oxides and sulphur dioxide. The directives also introduce standards that are more closely aligned with the World Health Organization's recommendations to protect human health.

The EU has also established ambient air quality standards to be achieved by all EU countries. EU rules set national reduction commitments for five main air pollutants. In April 2024, the EU adopted new rules to improve air quality, setting stricter targets for several pollutants, including particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and ozone. These rules aim to ensure that air quality in the EU is less harmful to human health, natural ecosystems, and biodiversity.

The EU is also working to reduce emissions of air pollutants from various sources. This includes cooperation with strategic partners to tackle transboundary air pollution, as well as EU laws regulating emissions from different sectors such as industry, energy production, domestic heating, agriculture, and transport.

While progress has been made, there are still challenges ahead. For example, the target of reducing ecosystems where nitrogen deposition exceeds critical loads by 25% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels is unlikely to be met, as of 2022, 73% of the EU-27's ecosystems were above the critical loads for eutrophication.

Overall, the EU is taking significant steps to protect ecosystems and biodiversity from the harmful effects of air pollution, with a focus on reducing emissions, setting standards and targets, and improving air quality across the region.

Improving fuel quality

Since the 1970s, the EU has been working to improve air quality by controlling emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere and improving fuel quality. The EU has also been integrating environmental protection requirements for different sectors, such as transport and energy.

In 2021, as part of the European Green Deal, the EU started revising the Ambient Air Quality Directive, aiming to align air quality standards more closely with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). This directive sets air quality standards for 12 air pollutants and defines common methods to monitor, assess, and inform the public about ambient air quality in the EU.

The EU's National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive (NECD) plays a crucial role in improving fuel quality. It sets national emission reduction commitments for Member States for five key air pollutants, including nitrogen oxides (NOx) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). These pollutants are primarily generated by road transport and the burning of solid fuels for heating, and they have severe health impacts on vulnerable individuals.

To address these issues, the NECD encourages the uptake of low-emission fuels and sets standards for fuel quality. For instance, the transition to low-emission fuels is one of the main measures reported by Member States to reduce PM10 emissions. Additionally, the directive promotes eco-design standards and requires emission control equipment in industrial premises, further contributing to improving fuel quality and reducing harmful emissions.

The EU's efforts to improve fuel quality are also reflected in its support for initiatives like Polish Smog Alert, which successfully campaigned for a ban on dirty-coal heating stoves in Poland. As a result, Poland now has new Low Emission Zone (LEZ) legislation, with 12 mayors committing to roll out LEZs, demonstrating the practical impact of improved fuel quality standards on a national scale.

Reducing ammonia emissions

To address this issue, the National Emission Ceilings Directive 2016/2284/EU has set an obligation for all European Union countries to reduce NH3 emissions by 6% relative to 2005 levels by 2020. By 2030, a more ambitious reduction commitment of 19% is targeted. This directive is the main legislative instrument to achieve the 2030 objectives of the Clean Air Programme.

To comply with these regulations, countries can implement several ammonia emission abatement options, including:

• Livestock feeding strategies
• Low-emission manure storage systems
• Low-emission animal housing systems
• Techniques for limiting NH3 emissions from the use of mineral fertilizers

The costs of these abatement options vary, with low nitrogen feed being the least expensive option and low-emission animal housing being the most costly. However, the economic benefits of reduced premature deaths due to improved air quality are estimated to be much higher than the costs of implementing these measures.

In addition to the National Emission Ceilings Directive, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) also plays a role in reducing ammonia emissions from agriculture. While the CAP has provided limited support for NH3 reduction in the past, the current reform for the period 2021-2027 identifies air quality improvement as a priority. This includes establishing a national advisory code of good agricultural practice to control NH3 emissions.

Overall, Europe is taking steps to reduce ammonia emissions, particularly from the agriculture sector, through legislation, policies, and abatement options. However, further efforts are needed to achieve the ambitious reduction targets for 2030 and beyond.

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