The May 2025 vote on the European Parliament’s priorities for the next EU long-term budget (Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034) included many important health considerations, including on financing for measures to prevent climate change and biodiversity loss. Unfortunately, MEPs failed to include financing to address pollution and the related health impacts. The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) calls on earmarking at least 10% of the next EU budget for zero pollution objectives across various funding instruments.
In February a meeting of representatives of the Polish health sector and civil society with Secretary of State Krzysztof Bolesta was held at the Ministry of Climate and Environment in Poland, organized by HEAL Poland. Over 25 non-governmental organizations and health experts called on the Polish government to support the preliminary agreement reached last week during EU trilogue negotiations on updating the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD).
During the meeting, health experts drew attention to the harm caused by air pollution in Poland and pointed out that the AAQD revision could help improve the situation significantly. In Poland over 40,000 people die prematurely every year due to polluted air, and health costs reach over PLN 100 billion annually. Dr. Skotak from the Institute of Environmental Protection cited that reducing pollution to the limits proposed in the draft new directive could reduce the number of premature deaths in Poland by 29,000. Łukasz Adamkiewicz from the European Center for Clean Air added that the implementation of anti-smog resolutions would be enough for Poland to reach the air quality levels provided for in the new directive.
At the end of the meeting, Secretary of State Krzysztof Bolesta announced that the Ministry will try to communicate the position of the Polish government regarding the current draft update of the AAQD Directive as soon as possible.
