EU set to impose stricter limits on major air pollutants

The European Parliament has approved its provisional agreement with European Union member states to impose stricter limits on major air pollutants and improve air quality monitoring. The new rules, which have yet to be confirmed by the Council of the EU, will also enable citizens to sue their governments and receive compensation if their health has been damaged by poor air quality.

The new rules set stricter 2030 limits and target values for air pollutants with a severe impact on human health, including particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). For PM2.5 and NO2, the annual limit values are to be more than halved, from 25 µg/m³ to 10 µg/m³ and from 40 µg/m³ to 20 µg/m³, respectively.

The new standards are closer, but not in line with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. However, the European Commission will be tasked to conduct a review every five years in order to fully align the EU directive with WHO standards.

Air pollution continues to be the number one environmental cause of early death in the EU, with around 300,000 premature deaths a year, according to a press release from the European Parliament.

Air pollution is responsible for 300,000 early deaths a year in the EU

Under the new regulation, there will also be more air quality sampling points in European cities to make air quality indices across the EU comparable, clear, and publicly available. The indices will also provide information about symptoms associated with air pollution peaks and the associated health risks for each pollutant.

The revised Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) is expected to help achieve the EU’s zero air pollution target by 2050, as set out in the Zero Pollution Action Plan.

EU members may ask for a 10-year postponement under specific conditions

The new rules now have to be adopted by Council of the EU, which represents national governments, before entering into force. Member states will then have two years to comply. Countries may request that the 2030 deadline be postponed by up to ten years under certain conditions, such as when the necessary reductions can only be achieved by replacing a considerable part of the existing domestic heating systems.

HEAL: Clean air is a question of political will

The EU Healthy Air Coalition (HEAL), a non-governmental organization representing medical doctors, healthcare professionals, patient associations, and health insurers, has welcomed the agreement. It called on EU member states to confirm it as soon as possible.

“We’re delighted that MEPs have shown today their firm commitment to cleaning up air for hundreds of millions of people across the EU. Clean air is a question of political will, not an individual or lifestyle choice,” said HEAL Deputy Director Anne Stauffer.