Alarmed at the lack of commitment on air quality on the part of the member states even though air pollution is the cause of 400,000 premature deaths every year in the EU, the NGO Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued a joint call in Brussels on Tuesday 13 February to political decision makers and Europe more generally to take urgent action to improve the air that EU citizens breathe.
This is very much a matter of present concern, as may be witnessed by the Commission’s recent threat to refer nine member states to the European Court of Justice for their infringement, over a number of years, of the 1998 European air quality directive (see EUROPE 11958).
“The health impacts of air pollution are unacceptable, and they are completely preventable. The EU has shown global leadership in setting legally-binding air quality standards and a framework to tackle air pollution from all sources. However, 23 out of the 28 member states are currently breaching these standards, which are for some pollutants already less stringent than what WHO recommends”, observed HEAL Executive Director Genon K. Jensen at a press briefing in Brussels.
Greater involvement of health ministers. In an open letter to EU health ministers published the same day, with environment ministers, Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella, Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis and Climate Action Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete all in copy, HEAL urges that greater priority be given to preventing disease and ill-health from air pollution. It suggests, too, that an inter-ministerial working group be set up in the member states to examine the air quality benefits or threats of all relevant national laws, strategies and measures. It also says that health ministers should become more closely involved in implementing the Paris climate agreement.
“Air pollution causes non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. It also increases the risk for acute respiratory infections”, stated Dr Maria Neira of the WHO. She pointed out that it is the most vulnerable – pregnant women, children, the elderly, those already ill or poor – who are particularly affected.
Encouraged that awareness among the public and politicians is increasing and that more and more cities are coming on board in monitoring and improving air quality, she urged that “priority be given to measures that not only improve air quality but also tackle climate change and improve citizens’ health everywhere”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)