Ambient Air Quality Directive published
The revised legislation means Europe is now on track to deliver healthier air as the agreement imposes stricter limits on pollutants including particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide.
Each year air pollution cuts short the lives of almost 300,000 Europeans, contributing to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease and other serious health conditions. However, the publication of the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) today – Wednesday 20th November – is looking to change this.
Formally approved by the European Union in Spring, the AAQD looks to impose stricter limits on pollutants such as particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. The limits will see the EU align with the World Health Organisation interim targets by 2030. However, derogations are provided to allow member states to delay their compliance with the new targets by up to ten years, but these will only be granted under certain measures.
Though this seems like a negative on the surface, the compromise ensures that none of the 27 Member States are left behind.
News of the Directive has been widely accepted and hailed as groundbreaking. When it was first proposed Parliament passed the revision with 381 votes in favour – over 100 more than those who were against the idea.
When the agreement was first approved, Anne Stauffer, Deputy Director of the Health and Environment Alliance, said: ‘Clean air is a question of political will, not an individual or lifestyle choice. We’re delighted that MEPs have shown today their firm commitment to cleaning up air for hundreds of millions of people across the European Union. Now the confirmation of the AAQD package by member states should follow swiftly, so that we call all start profiting from the numerous health benefits the new law will bring, and to prevent further harm to health.’
Though it should be celebrated that the agreement is now live, we should remain focused that work still needs to be done.
Simon Birkett, Founder and Director of Clean Air London who attended our latest National Air Quality Conference in London, has hailed the achievement and said many people deserve credit but Javi Lopez MEP should be celebrated ‘above all’. Mr Lopez is a Spanish politician who was first elected as a member of the European Parliament in 2014.
Simon added that the ‘UK should quickly match and exceed these standards.’
