The European Environment Agency (EEA) published a briefing note, on Thursday 26 August, on developments in the EU Member States regarding the reduction of key air pollutant emissions.
Based on the latest available data from 2019, this document shows that the EU27, as a whole, has respected the emission ceilings set in 2010 by the EU Directive (2001/81).
Extended until the end of 2019 by an amendment to the text via Directive 2016/2284, these ceilings concern emissions of the four main air pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ammonia (NH3).
All Member States met their respective national ceilings for NOx, NMVOCs and SO2 in 2019, notes the EEA.
In contrast, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Ireland and Spain exceeded their national emission ceilings for NH3.
Regarding the new targets for the period 2020-2029 set by Directive 2016/2284, only nine EU Member States (Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Slovenia) have met their emission reduction commitments for the four pollutants mentioned above and for fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
As the main pollutant responsible for premature deaths and illnesses due to air pollution, the EU’s PM2. 5 emissions have decreased by 29% between 2005 and 2019, the document also points out.
However, significant efforts are needed to meet the reduction commitments for 2030 and beyond for this pollutant. In particular, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania will have to reduce their PM2. 5 emissions by more than 50%.
In 2018, around 379,000 premature deaths were associated with exposure to fine particles alone in the EU27 and the UK.
See the document: https://bit.ly/3BhXXNF (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)