Press note: Air quality: HEAL comment on today’s EP plenary vote

Today, the European Parliament plenary voted on the revision of the EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) (2022/0347(COD)).

The report by rapporteur Javi Lopez was voted on with 363 in favour, 226 against, and 46 abstentions.

Anne Stauffer, Deputy Director of the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) comments:

Health groups welcome the outcome of today’s EP plenary vote on clean air as a crucial step forward towards greater protection from the top environmental threat to people’s health.

MEPs recognised the urgency to act, and have given a much needed health boost to the EU Commission proposal, even though the ambition level was slightly watered down compared to the ENVI committee vote.

We now call on Member States to show the same leadership for health protection, and conclude the AAQD revision negotiations swiftly. Every single person in Europe will benefit from cleaner air.