Contents

1. Thematic Strategy on air pollution and the revision of air quality directives -anticipating future information needs Andrej Kobe

2. Contents • Role of EC / the CAFE programme • Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution • Revision of Air Quality legislation • Information needs • Place for real-time data exchange, forecasting • INSPIRE and the Shared Information System (role of EEA) • Conclusions

3. Clean Air for Europe • Provides technical basis required for the Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution • Key principles: transparency, stakeholder participation • Launched 2001 • Pillars: Science / Integrated Assessment Modelling / Cost Benefit Analysis • Thematic Strategy • Coherent, integrated policy, consistent with other actions • Assesses progress in addressing Health & Environment • Objectives (Art 7.1 of 6th Env Action Programme) • Achieving levels of AQ that do not give rise to significant negative impacts on and risks to human health and the environment • No exceedance of critical loads and levels for acidification and eutrophication • Planned to be adopted by the College (E Commissioners) in May 2005 • http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/air/cafe/index.htm

4. Baseline – PM2.5 2000 2010 2020

5. Baseline (Rural) ozone 2000 2010 2020

6. Loss of life expectancy 2000 2010 2020

7. Impacts 2020 • reduced average statistical life expectancy of 5.5 months due to PM and some 20,000 premature deaths • about 13% of the area of European forests where critical loads for acidification are exceeded • 40% of ecosystems area subject to unsustainable deposition levels of nutrient nitrogen; and (4) about 13% of forests area exposed to ozone above the critical level

8. Maximum Feasible Technical Reduction

9. T/S on Air Pollution • Even MTFR does not satisfy 6EAP goals • Setting of interim objectives • Community measures • Product standards (Euro V/VI, domestic heating) • Agriculture • International shipping • Revision of Air Quality legislation • National/local measures • Switch to cleaner fuels • Urban Transport plans... • Cost Benefit Analysis helps to determine level of ambition

10. AQD Revision • New environmental objective (PM2.5) • Merging, streamlining, better regulation • Information to the public (Aarhus) • Monitoring & Reporting • Present, future information needs? • Towards a Shared Information System

11. Public information • Warnings (exceedances of alert thresholds...) • Quality, up-to-date information on concentrations + supplementary info • Forecasting • Assessment throughout the territory: modelling! • Empowering citizens : information on implementation of legislation and individual rights (limit values, right to participate in decision making...) • Information on measures : plans&programmes • Influencing personal behaviour • European aspect • EU & Internal market : free movement of persons • Transboundary nature of air pollution

12. Information needs(COM, EEA, MS) • Commission (DG ENV) • Compliance checking (Guardian of the Treaty) • Community policy development • EEA & MS • Assessment / State of Environment • Data repository at a Community Level (centralized or shared) • Forecasting (transboundary aspects) • Shared competencies • Development, validation, standardisation of models • Identification of linkages (cross-media, cross-policies), non-linearities • Knowledge gaps (research) • Following progress (Inspire, GMES)

13. Info required by AQD • Measurement data + related metadata on stations, methods, QA/QC • Assessment throughout the territory • GIS ‘maps’ • Information on plans and programmes • Development (follow-up through Comitology) • From required provisional reporting (ozone) & accelerated meas. data dataflow to accessibility through SIS • Use of GMES?

14. Shared Information System • INSPIRE – main architecture for spatial data • Held by MS public authorities • Metadata, spatial data sets, services, networks • Agreements on sharing and access, coordination • No reporting of data that is available through SIS • Information available & used as soon as possible • Importance of QA, labelling of provisional info • Start: Reportnet/CDR & EEA assistance

15. Role of EEA • Center of excellence • Provider of processed, policy relevant information • Key player for validation of data • Provider, developer of tools (data > information) • Assessments • SoE Reports, Indicators • Follow effectiveness of policies, implementation • Enhanced public access (with MS)

16. Real-time exchange • Encouraged by DG ENV, but not mandatory • When ozone real-time exchange substantially covers EU, it can be a very effective replacement of currently requested provisional ozone reporting • Required exchange between neighbours on elevated concentrations : facilitation through centralized exchange? • By-product of INSPIRE?

17. Forecasting • An important public information component • In revised AQD proposed extension of reference to forecasting to all pollutants • Anticipated that forecasting would benefit from new requirements on sharing the assessment information (modelling) • Need to define standard products?

18. Conclusions • Intensive negotiations in 2005 • Data exchange Group, Comitology, Co-decision • Exciting future prospects • Shared Information System, INSPIRE, GMES • Results • Informed, empowered, healthier public and cleaner environment • Improved policy development • More easy, more effective implementation of EU/national legislation

19. AQD GIS ‘maps’ • 1st approximation already required • Assessment throughout the territory • Classification of zones (based on monitoring, modelling) • Strenghten provisions (should resolve areas of exceedances, monitoring data) • Requirements: fit for purpose, not prescriptive • Benefits (beside compliance check) • Links to IAM, exposure (non-threshold pollutants) • Promote harmonization (borderline), modelling • Enhanced public information