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Air pollution is the number one environmental threat to health, in the EU and globally. HEAL works for healthy air quality indoors and outside and to protect particularly vulnerable people. 

Our vision is clean air for all, across the EU member states, and reaching the World Health Organization (WHO)’s air quality guidelines by 2030.

Air pollution affects everyone and those most vulnerable disproportionally, such as those already ill, children, elderly, pregnant women, and those facing health inequalities.  

The health burden from poor air quality in the EU is unacceptably high, with hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and hundreds of billions of euros in health costs each year.

Air pollution is one of the five main risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Evidence on adverse effects of air pollution on diseases of the brain, including dementia and mental health, are rapidly emerging, and likely add to the increasing burden of air pollution. Children are particularly at risk of harm from polluted air, given that their lungs, heart, brain, respiratory, immune and nervous systems are still developing. Their health can already be affected at early-life stages or even before birth, with lifelong consequences

Evidence is also growing regarding the harmful effects of low level pollution, pointing to the fact that there is likely no safe level of exposure to PM2.5 below which negative health effects aren’t seen. 

Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) – updated clean air standards (2024) 

The revised Ambient Air Quality Directive 2024/2881 (AAQD) aligns the EU’s clean air standards more closely with the WHO air quality guidelines regulates maximum concentrations of key air pollutants in ambient air across the EU. It entered into force on 10 December 2024 and EU member states now have up to 2 years to transpose it into national law before the updated maximum limit values apply from 1 January 2030.  

While regrettably the revised AAQD falls short on fully updating with the scientific recommendations, the package has a huge potential to lessen people’s suffering, prevent disease and achieve economic savings.  Strengthened clean air efforts will also support climate mitigation and health equity. 

HEAL calls on EU member states to swiftly transpose the new law, and go beyond the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive and to urgently, finally and fully align national air quality standards with the latest available science to protect our health.

How clean air action can help address socio-economic health inequalities 

There is also mounting evidence that socio-economic inequalities and the health impacts of air pollution are interlinked. People living in socio-economically disadvantaged areas in EU cities and regions are likely to be exposed to higher levels of air pollution and to experience disproportionately severe health impacts. In these areas or regions, children, pregnant women, the elderly and those living with disease are particularly at risk, given that their overall health status may already be poorer than that of their counterparts living in more affluent areas. 

As EU member states, regional and local authorities prepare to implement the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD), HEAL argues that decision-makers and authorities should pay particular attention to addressing socio-economic inequalities in their clean air efforts. The swift transposition and implementation of the new rules, with strengthened administrative collaboration and the full utilisation of financial support schemes, promise significant progress towards cleaner air across Europe. Improved air quality will be beneficial to everyone and contribute to preventing health inequalities for those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.

National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive (NECD): Accelerating emissions reduction at every source 

Complementary to the Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD), the National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive (NECD) (2016), is a critical instrument to reduce emissions of key air pollutants by 2030 at EU member state level. The NEC Directive sets national reduction commitments for key air pollutants that have a significant negative impact on human health and the environment and requires EU member states to monitor and report on the emissions of these pollutants. These air pollutants are sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC), ammonia (NH3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5).  

The NECD is currently being reviewed by the European Commission and a public consultation was held in the fall of 2024.  In its response, HEAL identifies major effectiveness, coherence and compliance gaps in the current NECD. These gaps should be urgently addressed to remedy several shortcomings in health prevention, close loopholes and tackle new pollution developments. HEAL also considers it key to set the EU on the path for ambitious emission reductions after 2030, as part of the zero-pollution objective.

The scientific evidence – latest WHO Air Quality Guidelines (2021) 

In September 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) published evidence-based Global Air Quality guidelines, the first update since 2005. After a systematic review of the accumulated evidence, the WHO recommends lower values for several pollutants, most notably for particulate matter PM2.5, and for nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Find out more.

Find out more about HEAL’s work on air quality: 

EUHAC – EU Healthy Air Coalition https://healthyaircoalition.eu/HEAL is a founding member of the EU Healthy Air Coalition and hosts its Secretariat. 

Newsletter: science for healthy air quality  

There is no scientific doubt that air pollutants such as particulate matter PM2.5 or nitrogen dioxide NO2 harm our health, and new studies are emerging every month further proving this link. Simultaneously, researchers are increasingly looking at the health benefits of particular air pollution solutions. Our Science for Healthy Air Quality newsletter keepts you up to date during the AAQD revision process on the latest science. 

Have a look at past issues: December 2024, October 2024, July 2024, April 2024, February 2024, December 2023, October 2023, July 2023, April 2023, July 2022, April 2022, February 2022, December 2021, October 2021, July 2021, May 2021

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