Brussels, 07/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - A revision of the Gothenberg Protocol of 1999, which was agreed upon in Geneva on Friday 4 May by the parties to this international agreement on long-range transboundary air pollution, will help to achieve a significant reduction of emissions responsible for air pollution within the EU by up to 60% between now and 2020. This is a major step forward, which was immediately welcomed by the Danish Environment Minister Ida Auken on behalf of the Environment Council of which she is chair.
“The air in Europe will be cleaner. The agreement is an important step towards reducing the massive human health effects, environmental and societal costs connected with air pollution. I am very satisfied that we managed to reach agreement to reduce air pollution with firm obligations towards 2020”, she said on the evening of Friday 4 May.
The novelty of the agreement consists of the commitment made by the parties to reduce the PM2.5 small particles that are emitted from industry, transport and domestic combustion. A number of countries had already committed themselves to reduce air pollution by 2010. The new agreement is more ambitious, as it extends its scope until 2020. For the EU27, it targets, for the period 2005-2020, a 59% reduction in sulphur dioxide, a 6% reduction in ammonia, a 43% reduction in nitrogen oxides, a 28% reduction in volatile organic compounds and a 23% reduction in particles.
Under this agreement, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and more third countries from Eastern Europe will also commit to binding reduction targets.
“Air pollution is transboundary. Therefore it is important that as many European countries as possible commit themselves to reduce air pollution. Up to 80% of the particle pollution in Denmark comes from other countries. We have won a small victory for cleaner air. But the challenge is not yet over”, added Auken. The next stage will be in 2013 - the Year of Air, as proposed by Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik - a year which will see the EU start negotiations on new requirements to reduce national emissions and improve air quality further, said the president of the Environment Council.
A missed opportunity. The environmental NGOs are considerably less enthusiastic, talking of a missed opportunity. In a press release published on Monday 7 May, the EEB (European Environmental Bureau) laments the fact that the EU's commitment for the four pollutants which are already regulated (all except PM2.5 particles) are within the status quo.
“The EU should be leading from the front - using these talks to ensure effective protection of health and the environment. Instead, EU member states are dragging their feet in some or even challenging past commitments”, said Louise Duprez, Air Pollution Policy Officer at the EEB. Stressing that the cost of damage caused by air pollution to health alone has been estimated at several hundred billion euro a year, the EEB points out that the implementation of ambitious reduction targets would net Europe between €110 and €230 billion a year (including €50 to €150 billion for the EU) in terms of benefits to health by 2020, according to estimates. The EEB therefore hopes that the EU27 will wake up before 2013 to raise the bar.
Emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOC) and ammonia (NH3) are responsible for the issues of acidification, tropospheric ozone and eutrophisation of the soil. Directive 2001/81/EC on national upper limits for emissions requires the member states to observe upper limits for these various atmospheric pollutants. Its revision is planned for 2013. (AN/transl.fl)