Air quality legislation in Europe

an NGO perspective

Louise Duprez

EEB - European Environmental Bureau

Outline

• EEB – who we are

• EU ambitions for clean air

• State of the air quality in Europe

• Policy opportunities for cleaner air

- More stringent at source legislation across the EU

- Implementation at national and local level

- Highlighting best practices and NGO involvement

European Environmental Bureau

EEB – who we are

• Largest European federation of environmental citizens’ organisations ~150 member organisations in ~30 countries

• Protect and improve the environment of Europe

• Enable the citizens of Europe to play their role in achieving this goal

• European wide network: working groups on air, biodiversity, water, waste, chemicals, etc.

European Environmental Bureau

European Environmental Bureau

European NGOs for clean air

Health and environmental

impacts

European Environmental Bureau

Adverse health impacts

• Close to half a million premature deaths a year

• Illnesses, respiratory diseases

• Social and financial costs for Europe

Impact on Europe’s biodiversity

eutrophication and acidification

EU air quality ambitions

• 6th Environment Action Programme“Achieve levels of air quality that do not give rise to significantnegative impacts on and risks to human health and the environment.”

• Thematic Strategy on Air PollutionObjectives for 2020: reduce life expectancy losses (by 47%);

reduce mortalities due to ozone exposure (by 10%);

acidification and eutrophication reduction targets.

European Environmental Bureau

What has been achieved?

European Environmental Bureau

European Environmental Bureau

Emissions are going down…

EEA, 2008

… Concentration levels remain high

European Environmental Bureau

• PM and ozone concentrations (1997-2007)

� 20-50% of urban population potentially exposed to PM10

concentrations > limit values

� 14-62% of urban population exposed to ozone

concentrations > target values

� No discernible trend over the period for both pollutants

• PM10 limit values exceeded in most Member States

What can be done?

European Environmental Bureau

EU legislation

European Environmental Bureau

• Further reduce emissions of air pollutants

� Revision of the NEC Directive

� Revision of the Sulfur

Content of Marine Fuels

Directive

• Better implement existing ambient air legislation

� Implementation of new air quality directive

�Monitoring of PM2.5

� 2013 review

European Environmental Bureau

How to improve the air - concrete solutions

• Subsidiarity principle= MS are free to decide how to achieve

EU legally binding air quality standards

• Best practice examples� Low emission zones

� Congestion charges

� Synergies between air

and climate policies

�Speed limit

�Retrofitting of diesel

vehicles with particle

traps

�Public transport

improvement

�Domestic heating

European Environmental Bureau

Conclusions

• Air quality legislation offers possibilities to reduce climate

change and air pollution

• Local air quality plans need to be made, improved and

implemented

• EU legislation on emissions needs to be revised without

further delay

• Best practices examples: get inspiration from others

Thank you for your attention

Contact details:

Louise Duprez

European Environmental Bureau

Email: louise.duprez@eeb.org

Tel: +32 2 289 13 07