EU countries agree to adopt stricter standards

States will be required to develop detailed roadmaps by 2028 to achieve this.

With more than 250,000 premature deaths attributable to air pollution each year in the EU, the 27 are taking action in favor of clean air. On the evening of Tuesday February 20, MEPs and negotiators from Member States agreed to strengthen air quality standards by 2030. With an objective in mind “zero pollution” in 2050, the agreement provides for stricter limits for several pollutants, without however aligning them with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). States will be required to develop detailed roadmaps by 2028 to achieve this.

For nitrogen dioxide as for fine particles less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), the authorized annual limit values ​​will be lowered by more than half in 2030 compared to today, specifies a press release from the European Parliament. “This is a major step towards ensuring a healthier future,” commented Social Democratic MEP Javi López, rapporteur of the text, welcoming the revision “obsolete standards, some of which were 15 to 20 years old.” “The standards will be revised again by December 31, 2030, then at least every five years, and more often if new scientific findings allow, such as revised WHO guidelines”he added.

A measure of the Green Deal

In their initial mandate, MEPs had called for strict and binding alignment by 2035 with the WHO guidelines, while member states supported the less drastic values ​​for 2030 proposed by the European Commission. MEPs from the EPP (right), as well as several countries, have fought to ensure that this legislation, which is part of the Green Deal, is less restrictive and accompanied by broad exemptions.

Thus, according to the final agreement, States may request that the 2030 deadline be postponed for up to ten years, in the event of specific conditions, for example, when the necessary reductions in pollutants can only be obtained by replacing part considerable impact on existing domestic heating systems.

The text also provides for an increase in air quality measurement points and harmonization of indices in the EU so that they are “comparable, clear and accessible to the public”, by providing information on pollution peaks. The legislation also includes a strengthened right to compensation, particularly in the context of collective actions, for citizens whose health is damaged by violations of air quality standards.