Negotiators from the Parliament and the Council reached a provisional political agreement on Tuesday on new measures to ensuring that air quality in the EU is not harmful to human health, natural ecosystems and biodiversity, with the aim of eliminating air pollution by 2050.

Stricter air quality standards and targets

The new rules set stricter limits and targets for 2030 compared to the current rules for several pollutants, including particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and SO2 (sulphur dioxide). For the two pollutants with the highest documented impact on human health, PM2.5 and NO2, the annual limit values are to be reduced by more than half, from 25 µg/m³ to 10 µg/m³ and from 40 µg/m³ to 20 µg/m³ respectively. There will also be more air quality sampling points in cities. The air quality standards will be reviewed by 31 December 2030 and at least every five years thereafter, and more frequently if new scientific findings, such as revised World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on air quality . (More on www.europarl.europa.eu)