On Wednesday, 12 May, the European Commission will adopt its communication on the EU action plan for ‘zero pollution’ of water, air, and soil by 2030 to protect citizens and ecosystems.
This key initiative of the European Green Deal notably intends to remedy the numerous implementation gaps in existing environmental legislation, as pollution from agriculture, households, industry, and transport is not effectively tackled at source.
The plan is expected to aim to reduce the 400,000 premature deaths per year caused by air pollution in the EU by more than half—a goal pursued by the ‘Clean Air for Europe’ legislation and the ‘NEC’ Directive but one that still requires a lot of effort, according to the European Environment Agency (see EUROPE 12607/13).
It will contain the revision of the ‘Air Quality’ legislation, which is scheduled for the second half of 2022 and will aim to align more closely, although not fully, with WHO standards.
The action plan will also be based on initiatives that are already on the table, such as the Sustainable Chemicals Strategy and the ‘Farm to Fork’ Strategy, which include measures to reduce the use of pesticides and antimicrobials.
In addition, it will aim to improve the governance of pollution-control policies at the European and international levels as well as promote societal change, including digital solutions. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)