Brussels, 08/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - A report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on 6 July says that, in 2014, several EU member states exceeded the emission limits set by international law for ammonia (NH3), a pollutant mainly stemming from agriculture.
The annual EU emission inventory for the period from 1990 to 2014 under the Gothenburg Protocol (Protocol to the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) shows that ammonia emissions in Europe have, indeed, fallen since 1990 but not by as much as many other pollutants covered by the convention which imposes national reductions from 2010 in emissions of NH3, nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and sulphur oxides (SOx) and specific reduction commitments by the EU15.
NH3 emissions fell by 24% between 1990 and 2014, but increased by 0.9% in the EU-28 between 2013 and 2014.
Ammonia emissions from the EU15 in 2014 were 0.2% higher than the 2010 limit, the first time the EU15 has exceeded its emission ceiling for this pollutant.
The rise in NH3 emissions in 2014 was mainly due to increases in France, Germany and Spain. That year, four countries (Finland, Germany, Netherlands and Spain) also exceeded their individual NH3 ceilings.
Emissions of the other main pollutants primarily responsible for the formation of ground-level ozone (O3) have dropped considerably since 1990. Carbon monoxide (CO), NMVOCs and NOx emissions were reduced by 65%, 60% and 55% respectively.
Around 94% of ammonia emissions in Europe come from agriculture. Ammonia contributes to eutrophication - an oversupply of nitrogen that harms ecosystems and threatens biodiversity - and acidification of ecosystems. It also forms particulate matter in the atmosphere which harms human health.
The reviews of the EU directive on national emissions ceilings for certain air pollutants (Directive 2003/35/EC, known as the NEC directive), on which provisional agreement has been reached between the Parliament and the Council takes the emission limits for 2020-2029 to which the member states have already committed themselves under the revised Gothenburg Protocol and sets new targets from 2030, with 2025 as an intermediate indicative stage (EUROPE 11586). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)