1 Background 4 Objectives and coverage 4

1.4 Policy and legislation

Current EU air pollution policy is underpinned by the 2005 Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution (TSAP) (European Commission, 2005) which aims to achieve improvements in 2020 relative to the situation in 2000, with concrete objectives concerning impacts on human health and the environment. The TSAP also established which European legislation and measures are needed to ensure progress towards the long-term goal of the Sixth EAP (i.e. the EAP that ran from 2002 to 2012), to attain ‘levels of air quality that do not give rise to significant negative impacts on, and risks to human health and the environment’. This goal was reinforced in the Seventh EAP (which will run until 2020). To move towards achieving the TSAP objectives, EU air pollution legislation has followed a twin-track approach of implementing both air-quality standards and emission mitigation controls.

The main policy instruments on air pollution within the EU include the Ambient Air Quality Directives (EU, 2004; EU, 2008) and the National Emission Ceilings Directive (EU, 2001). Source-specific legislation also focuses on industrial emissions, road and off-road vehicle emissions, fuel quality standards, etc. Beyond the EU, emissions are also addressed under the 1979 UNECE LRTAP Convention, the Marine Pollution Convention and other international conventions. In addition, several legal instruments are used to reduce environmental impacts from different activities or to promote environmentally friendly behaviour, and these also contribute indirectly to minimising air pollution (¹). Table 1.1 summarises the coverage of the European directives and international conventions regulating air pollutant emissions (either directly or indirectly by regulating emissions of precursor gases) and ambient concentrations of air pollutants. The list is not exhaustive.

In late 2013, the European Commission proposed a new Clean Air Policy Package for Europe, which aims to ensure compliance with existing legislation by 2020 and to further improve Europe’s air quality by 2030 and thereafter (European Commission, 2013b). The package proposes strengthening the implementation of existing legislation, introducing stricter national emission-reduction commitments and reducing emissions from medium-size combustion plants. Box 1.1 summarises the latest European legislative developments.

In late 2013, the European Commission proposed a new Clean Air Policy Package. This package updates existing legislation controlling harmful emissions from industry, traffic, energy plants and agriculture, with a view to reducing their impact on human health and the environment.

As a result of the Clean Air Policy Package:

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  The Directive (EU) 2015/2193 on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from medium combustion plants (thermal input from 1 to 50 MWth) entered into force in 2015 (EU, 2015). It regulates emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) with the aim of reducing those emissions and the risks they pose to human health and the environment. It also lays down rules to monitor emissions of carbon monoxide (CO);
  
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  The Directive on National Emission Ceilings 2001/81/EC (NEC Directive; EU, 2001) is being amended, in order to establish new national emission reduction commitments applicable from 2020 and 2030 for SO₂, NO_x, non-methane volatile organic compound (NMVOC), ammonia (NH₃), PM_2,5, and methane (CH₄). The Council and the European Parliament recently reached a provisional agreement setting the national emission limits from 2020 to 2029 identical to those set in the revised Gothenburg protocol. New stricter reductions from 2030 have now been agreed. With the new commitments, the health impact of air pollution is estimated to be reduced by about 50% in 2030 (compared to 2005).
  

Directive 97/68/EC (EU, 1997; amended by Directive 2012/46/EU, EU, 2012) on non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) emissions is being reviewed to introduce more stringent pollution limits. It regulates different engine categories used in the NRMM, according to their power range. For each category, it sets emission limits for CO, hydrocarbons (HC), NO_X and PM and deadlines for implementing them, starting from 2018.

2. Sources and emissions of air pollutants