EU pushes for compliance with air quality standards

The EU has strongly criticised member states for taking too long to comply with its air quality standards.

From a total of 94 air quality zones assessed, only 19 zones, in Austria, Germany and Hungary, have been granted extra time to try to meet EU standards.

The remaining requests were rejected due to lack of sufficient data or lack of evidence of suitable measures which will guarantee that air quality standards will be met within the extra time allowed.

EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas said that member states had to show more commitment towards better air quality.

“The Commission therefore expects member states to clearly demonstrate that they are doing their upmost, in the interests of their citizens, to comply with the EU standards in the shortest possible time,” he said in a press release.

In 2005 the EU established standards for airborne particles (PM 10) in pollution coming from industry, traffic and domestic heating, with certain binding limit values for the maximum permitted concentrations of certain pollutants in the air.

These quality standards were set up as a means of reducing the levels of asthma, cardiovascular problems, lung cancer and premature death which occur as a result of these air pollutants

Those member states granted time extensions may postpone compliance with these limits until 10 June 2011, while the commission has nine months to raise the objections against the remaining requests.

The need to ensure clean, safe air quality was underlined by a recent WHO report on the social causes of ill health, in particular pollution coming from traffic.

“Pollution from transport contributes to total air pollution, which is estimated to be responsible for 1.4% of all deaths worldwide,” the report says.

“In order to address what is becoming a public health disaster, it is important that national and local government, with private sector collaboration, control air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles,” the report adds.

You can view the list of zones exceeding the EU air quality standards as part of the website of the European commission directorate-general for the environment.

To read the WHO report on the social determinants of health, please click here.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net