While EU directives on ambient air quality have established common European standards and information exchange, there is much to be done to improve their scope and significantly reduce the 400,000 or so premature deaths a year caused by air pollution, said MEPs on the European Parliament’s environment and public health committee on Thursday 4 March.
By 43 votes (33 against, 3 abstentions), it adopted the amended own-initiative report by Javi López (S&D, Spain) on the implementation of Directives 2004/107/EC and 2008/50/EC. The ‘NEC’ Directive on National Emission Ceilings is not affected.
MEPs believe that the two directives have been only partially effective in reducing air pollution and limiting its adverse effects on health, quality of life, and the environment.
They point out that a large number of Member States still do not fully comply with the standards currently in force and have not taken sufficient measures to improve air quality and minimise exceedances of the limit values. This is despite the numerous infringement proceedings launched by the European Commission.
Member States and the Commission are being invited to take action to improve compliance with existing standards. MEPs welcome the commitment made in the European ‘Green Deal’ to review air quality standards in the third quarter of 2022 (see EUROPE 12627/21).
However, they believe that a careful evaluation of the new WHO standards is needed in order to decide whether to align the EU’s standards with those of the WHO.
MEPs say the revised directives should cover other unregulated pollutants whose adverse effects on health and the environment have been demonstrated in the EU, such as ultrafine particles, black carbon, mercury, and ammonia - one of the most harmful pollutants to ecosystems.
The Commission has been asked to draw up a monitoring list for substances and compounds which give rise to public or scientific concern on health grounds, such as microplastics.
To remedy the shortcomings in pollution monitoring, despite the 4,000 monitoring stations and 16,000 sampling points in the EU, MEPs are calling for air quality to be measured at appropriate locations and emission sources to ensure that air pollution is correctly estimated. They are also calling for improved public information and awareness.
The draft resolution will be put to a vote in the European Parliament on 24 and 25 March. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)