1.1: Air Quality
To provide assessments of air quality and air pollution across Europe, especially in urban and rural areas, based on quality
assured, up‑to‑date and where possible near-real-time data and indicators; in particular focusing on particles, ozone, toxic
and other hazardous pollutants, sectoral emissions, progress towards and outlooks for the achievement of short- and long-term
air quality policy targets and inputs into assessments of air quality impacts on human health and ecosystems.
Other Information:
Analysis - Though ambient (1) air quality has been improving steadily in Europe, there is still a long way to go before long-term
targets to protect human health and the environment are met. Substantial impacts on human health, ecosystems, crops and forests
still remain due to the presence of particles, such as PM10 and PM2.5, ozone, toxic and other hazardous pollutants in ambient
air and the deposition of a variety of substances. Policy highlights in the period of the next strategy will be the implementation
of the new Clean Air for Europe Directive and its review (2013), the review of the Air Thematic Strategy (2010) and the current
revision of the National Emissions Ceilings Directive. Action - We will achieve our objective by: • providing up-to-date and
where possible near real-time quality assured data, maps, indicators and streamlined access to relevant ambient air quality
websites via SEIS and the EEA Data Centre on air; • producing integrated and targeted assessments of air pollution and noise,
the impacts on human health and the environment, and the effectiveness and co-benefits of related policies and measures; •
providing annual assessments of summer ozone levels (in accordance with the Ozone in Ambient Air Directive) and of air quality
in zones and agglomerations (in accordance with the Ambient Air Quality Directive); • contributing to the EEA's integrated
environmental assessments and analyses of environment and health by making wider use of modelling techniques and advanced
spatial mapping techniques and Inspire in our work; • working closely in cooperation with Eionet, the European Topic Centre
on Air and Climate Change, the GMES atmospheric services, Eurostat, JRC and other EC services, WHO, UNECE (the relevant programmes,
centres and task forces under this Convention), the network of national reference laboratories on quality control/quality
assurance of air quality monitoring, other providers of data such as regional bodies, cities, industry and scientific, research
and societal institutes; and • improving use of air quality information via multi-media, user-friendly, interactive services.
Indicator(s):
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