EU: Air Quality Standards

Overview

 * Standard type: Ambient air quality standards
 * Regulating body: European Union (European Commission, Parliament, Council, and Member States)
 * Current standard: Ambient Air Quality and Cleaner Air for Europe, Directive 2008/50/EC, (summarized on the European Commission's Air Quality Standards page)
 * Applicability: Region-wide

History
The European Union (EU) has two overarching air quality policies: the Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution (TSAP) of 2005 and the National Emission Ceilings Directive (NECD) of 2001. The TSAP, created under the 6th Environmental Action Program (6EAP), established air quality objectives with supporting policy measures spanning to 2020. Almost all of the interim objectives outlined in the agenda have since come into place, the most significant of which was the passing of the current standard, Ambient Air Quality and Cleaner Air for Europe (Directive 2008/50/EC). The Directive fused most ambient air quality legislation into one policy without making any changes to the goals originally laid out within each.

The NECD (Directive 2001/81/EC) set total emission limits for sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and ammonia (NH3), but allowed EU Member States some flexibility to determine how to achieve these limits. Amendments to the original 2001 NECD were made in 2006 and again in 2009 to include all 27 member-states, as well as European Commission comments, in an updated policy: Directive 2008/50/EC.

Plans were made to revise the NECD to align with TSAP’s 2020 objectives with the adoption of the TSAP in 2005. Revisions of the NECD were scheduled to take place in 2004, 2008, and 2012. However, expected revisions were delayed twice: first, in 2006, to wait for the Climate Change and Energy Package’s negotiations to be finalized, and a second time, in 2008, after the global economic crisis added to other implementation challenges.

Technical Standards
The EU's ambient air quality standards are detailed in Directive 2008/50/EC and summarized on the European Commission's Air Quality Standards page. Ambient Air Quality Standards for the European Union

''*Under the new Directive, the member State can apply for an extension of up to five years (i.e. maximum up to 2015) in a specific zone. Requests are subject to assessment by the Commission. In such cases within the time extension period, the limit value applies at the level of the limit value + maximum margin of tolerance (48 &micro;g/m3 for annual NO2 limit value).''

''**Under the new Directive, the EU Member State was able to apply for an extension until three years after the date of entry into force of the new Directive (i.e. May 2011) in a specific zone. Request was subject to assessment by the Commission. In such cases within the time extension period, the limit value applies at the level of the limit value + maximum margin of tolerance (35 days at 75&micro;g/m3  for daily PM10 limit value, 48 &micro;g/m3 for annual PM10  limit value).''

***Standard introduced by the new Directive.

''Under EU law, a limit value is legally binding from the date it enters into force subject to any exceedances permitted by the legislation. A target value is to be attained as far as possible by the attainment date and so is less strict than a limit value.''

In addition, the directive introduces new PM2.5 objectives based on the average exposure indicator (AEI). The AEI is determined as a 3-year running annual mean concentration of PM2.5 averaged over selected monitoring stations. PM2.5 Average Exposure Indicator (AEI) Goals ''* Depending on the value of AEI in 2010, a percentage reduction requirement (0,10,15, or 20%) is set in the directive. If AEI in 2010 is assessed to be over 22 &micro;g/m3, all appropriate measures need to be taken to achieve 18 &micro;g/m3 by 2020.''

Regulatory Documents
NECD, Directive 2001/81/EC

TSAP, COM(2005) 446

2008 standards, Directive 2008/50/EC