Brussels, 11/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - A further step has just been taken towards revising EU policy on air quality with the launch on Tuesday 11 December of a public consultation exercise on the best way to improve air quality in Europe (see EUROPE 10644). Launched by the European Commission, the consultation is the second of its kind. It comprises a short questionnaire for the general public, and a more extensive set of questions for experts and practitioners from national administrations, regional and local authorities, researchers, businesses, stakeholders, and health, environmental and other groups with experience in implementing EU air quality legislation.
All parties interested are invited, until 4 March 2013, to give their opinion on ways to ensure the full implementation of the existing legislative framework, to improve and complete it with supporting action. The results of the consultation will contribute to a comprehensive review of European policies relating to air quality, foreseen for 2013. This exercise is the last stage in the consultation process launched in January 2011, which had led to the organisation of regular meetings with member states and other stakeholders and to a first public consultation on the effectiveness of EU policies and on future priorities. The Commission will soon be publishing the results of a Eurobarometer study on air quality carried out among some 25,000 European citizens from the 27 member states.
Air pollution and the threats that it brings to bear on the environment and on human health remain a concern. Despite progress made over recent decades thanks to legislation aimed at reducing pollution from sulphur dioxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and benzene, the safety limit values are regularly exceeded with summer smog, ground-level ozone, and fine particles emitted by the transport sector. The latter are particularly harmful for health and are considered to be the major failure of the EU's policy on air quality. (AN/transl.jl)