Published : Jan 08,
2013 Last modified : Jan 09, 2013 11:01
AM
Clean air will be the focus of EU environmental
policy discussions throughout 2013, the
Year of Air. The European Environment Agency
(EEA) provides a wealth of information underpinning
the review of air pollutant legislation.
As the Eurobarometer
survey released today shows, the impact
of air pollution is something that European
citizens feel strongly about. The decision
to designate 2013 as the Year of Air reflects
both the economic seriousness of the problem,
but also the impacts on humans. Lives are
being cut short by air pollution and chronic
respiratory disease makes life miserable
for many across the continent.
Air pollution remains
a concern for public health and the environment,
according to the most recent analyses published
by the EEA. To improve the situation, the
European Commission is reviewing the EU
Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution and related
policies in 2013. A related consultation
on options for the revision started already
in 2012 and will be concluded by early March.
Speaking at an event in the beginning of
the Year of Air in Brussels, EEA Executive
Director Jacqueline McGlade said: “As the
Eurobarometer survey released today shows,
the impact of air pollution is something
that European citizens feel strongly about.
The decision to designate 2013 as the Year
of Air reflects both the economic seriousness
of the problem, but also the impacts on
humans. Lives are being cut short by air
pollution and chronic respiratory disease
makes life miserable for many across the
continent.”
The air quality problem in Europe
Europe has made progress in tackling emissions
of some air pollutants. For example, sulphur
dioxide emissions have been reduced significantly
in recent years thanks to EU legislation
requiring the use of emissions scrubbing
technology and lower sulphur content in
fuels.
However, a large proportion of the population
is still exposed to excessive concentrations
of certain air pollutants, leading to health
risks and premature death in some areas.
The most problematic pollutant for health
is particulate matter, which has only decreased
slightly over the last decade.
The latest science also shows that some
environmental impacts of air pollution,
such as acidification and eutrophication,
are more serious than anticipated. Among
others, this is because newer scientific
methods are showing that ecosystems are
more sensitive than previously judged. While
legislation has led to improvements in many
cases, real world emissions of passenger
cars and light commercial vehicles can still
substantially exceed emission limits.
Competition winners receive award
In 2012, the EEA organised a photo story
competition ‘ImaginAir’, inviting Europeans
to tell their story of air in Europe in
four thematic categories: air and health,
air and nature, air and cities, air and
technology. In addition to these four categories,
the competition awarded special prizes for
youth and the public’s choice. The winners
were presented with their prizes today,
showing inspirational approaches to picturing
the air where they live, an admittedly challenging
endeavour.
