Impact of selected policy measures on Europe’s air quality
Impact of selected policy measures on Europe’s air quality. EEA, Technical report No 8/2010 http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/impact-of-selected-policy-measures/at_download/file
Industrial combustion and road transport are major sources of air pollutants that cause significant harm to human health and the natural environment. Together, they account for around 50–66 % of total emissions of particulate matter, acidifying pollutants and ozone-forming gases. The EU introduced the Euro emission standards for road vehicles and directives on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) and Large Combustion Plants (LCP) to reduce air pollutant emissions from these sources. But how effective have they been? This study aims to provide an answer, analysing how much these policies have reduced air pollutant emissions and improved Europe’s air quality compared to a ‘no-policy scenario’. It also explores how much better air quality could be if the policies were fully applied.