EEB

Air

What is the EU doing?

• What is the EU doing?
• What is The EEB doing?
• Linking Air Quality and Climate Change
• Clean Air! Everywhere

EU air quality policies aim to reduce exposure to air pollution in two ways: by reducing emmissions of major air pollutants and by setting air quality target values

Reduction of emmissions

The National Emission Ceilings Directive (NEC Directive) imposes limits for emissions of four key air pollutants (nitrogen oxides; sulphur dioxide; non-methane volatile organic compounds; and ammonia) that are responsible for acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone pollution. The European Commission is expected to propose a revision of the NEC Directive in 2010.

EU legisation addresses mobile sources of air pollution which includes that from transport (road, aviation, shipping) but also sets standards for non-road mobile machinery and fuels.

Stationary sources of emissions are addressed at EU level by several pieces of legislation: the Directive concerning integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC Directive), Directive limiting air pollution from large combustion plants (LCPs) as well as the VOC Solvents Directive and Paints Directive.

Air Quality

The EU also sets ambient air quality target and limit values which member states must comply with. The new Air Quality Directive, adopted in May 2008, merges most of the existing directives . It also allows Member States to ask the European Commissions for time extensions of three years to five years for complying with limit values.

Useful link:
- European Commissions  webpage on air quality

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