Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution

1. Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution and streamlined air quality legislation CAFE team, DG Environment

2. Thematic Strategy is a response to 6th EAP • 6th EAP- Decision of Council & EP of July 2002: • ‘achieving levels of air quality that do not give rise to significant negative impacts on and risks to human health and the environment’; (Art 7.1. of 6th EAP) • Integrated approach; consistency with other environmental policies; exploit synergies; • Better Regulation • supported by thorough impact assessment; • new legislative proposal to streamline air quality legislation

3. Objective of Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) Programme • Established in 2001 to provide the technical input for the Thematic Strategy on air pollution • Best available science & transparency • Benchmark current and future air pollution with regard to significant impacts • Define interim objectives up to 2020 – based on analysis of closing the gap between business as usual and Maximum Technical Feasible improvement • Inform the review of air quality legislation • Starting point in 2000 • ≈ 350,000 premature deaths attributable to PM • Average statistical life expectancy shortened by roughly 9 months, in some MSs: 1 to 2 years.

4. How were these interim objectives defined? • Peer-reviewed health (WHO) and scientific advice • Assessment of the effect of current policies • Peer-reviewed integrated assessment to develop cost-effective solutions for both health and environment • Peer-reviewed Cost-Benefit Analysis • Macro-economic analysis • Lisbon Strategy & Competitiveness • Stakeholder involvement and consultation • Over 100 stakeholder meetings and over 10.000 responses to internet based consultation • Accompanied by comprehensive impact assessment (170+ pages)

5. Impacts addressed by the Strategy (1) • Health: Fine Particles (PM2.5) & Ozone • Range of problems from minor respiratory effects to premature death; also cardiovascular effects. • No known thresholds for effects • Acid rain (SO2, NOx, NH3) • Affects freshwaters and terrestrial ecosystems • leads to loss of flora & fauna; reduced growth of forests, leaching of toxic metals into soil solution

6. Impacts addressed by the Strategy (2) • Eutrophication (NOx, NH3) • Excess nutrient nitrogen causes species composition change & loss of biodiversity • Also causes nutrient imbalances in plants/trees -increases susceptibility to other stresses such as drought • Ozone (non-health) • Damages trees and plants including agricultural crops • Damages buildings/materials

7. PM SO2 NH3 NOx VOC Interim objectives for 2020 Defining cost-effective solutions is complicated Health Eutrophication Acidification Ozone

8. Example 1: Fine particlesEven if situation improves by 2020:2.5 million life years or 272,000 premature deathsif nothing is done. Loss in average statistical life expectancy due to identified anthropogenic PM2.5Calculations for 1997 meteorology Source: Clean Air for Europe Programme (2005)

9. Example 2:Problem of too much nitrogen deposited to nature in 2020No EU policies have yet addressed this. Ecosystem area exceeded eutrophication 590 000 km2 Percentage of ecosystems area with nitrogen deposition above critical loads using grid-average deposition. Calculation for 1997 meteorology Source: Clean Air for Europe Programme (2005)

10. Summary of “Business as Usual” • Emissions continue to decline • But in 2020 • Premature deaths related to fine particulates still 270,000 • Loss of statistical average life still 5 months in the EU • Ozone premature mortality equal to 20,800 cases • 119,000 km2 of forest at risk from acid rain • 590,000 km2 of ecosystems at risk from nutrient Nitrogen • 760,000 km2 of forest at risk from ozone • Cost-effective improvements are possible Ships will represent 125% and 101% of land based SO2 and NOx emissions in 2020.

11. The Strategy

12. 200 € Billion / year 150 100 50 0 Case "A" Strategy Case "B" Case "C" Max. technical reductions Road sources costs SOX costs NOX costs NH3 costs VOC costs PM25 costs Health Benefits Uncertainty Costs and benefits of the CAFE policy scenarios Strategy costs €7.1 billion per annum in 2020andthereafter

13. Improvement of health & environment indicators following the Strategy (improvement relative to 2000)

14. Summary of Strategy – Costs & Benefits

15. Objectives of the Strategy

16. Lisbon Strategy/Competitiveness • No change in jobs • GDP effects are small • -0.01% change in growth rate billions of euros

17. What about China? • Has already adopted Euro 2 standard for cars • Euro 3 standard in 2007 • Newly built and expanded coal-fired units must install flue gas desulphurization (FGD) • Old plants, sulphur content of coal below 0.5% • All pure condensing type generators below 50 MW are phased out • Levy on SO2 emissions • About €60/tonne • US SO2 price is $150-$200/tonne • Similar levy planned also on NOx emissions.

18. Measures following the Strategy • Euro 5 for cars and vans • Euro 6 for Heavy Duty Engines • Revision of the NECD consistent with objectives identified in the Strategy • Small scale combustion • Review of IPPC directive for larger sources • Energy using Products directive for small sources • Ship NOx engine standards (IMO or Community) • Agriculture (NH3) • N content of feedstuffs • Review of IPPC directive for intensive agriculture • Revise Air quality legislation

19. Air Quality Legislation (1) COM (2005) 447 final • Better Regulation • Merge AQ Framework Directive, EoI Decision, and 1st- 3rd Daughter directives • Tidy up inconsistencies • More flexibility for Member States • Natural Sources of pollution can be discounted • Time extensions (< 5 years) where all reasonable measures taken and new plan prepared to ensure compliance

20. Air Quality Legislation (2) • Move towards electronic reporting of air quality information/Inspire friendly • No change to existing limit values • New provisions on PM2.5 • Concentration cap of 25µg/m3 annual average to apply everywhere – legally indentical to a limit value. • Robust monitoring of PM2.5 concentrations • Target to reduce national average measured urban background concentration by 20% between 2010 and 2020 subject to later review where differentiated MS legal objectives to be proposed

21. New NEC Directive • New pollutants (PPM, CH4) • New approaches – trading/cooperation between Member States • Relative ceilings rather than absolute caps • New obligations to support CLRTAP scientific work • CLs reporting • Gridded emissions reporting • Monitoring • Revision of the reporting regime

22. Final thoughts • Air pollution is and will continue to be a real problem for health and environment • Need to act at EU level -- air pollution is transboundary • Ambitious but cost-effective proposals • Based on comprehensive Impact Assessment • Based on sound peer-reviewed science • Better Regulation • Streamlining legislation: 50% reduction in paper provisions • New approach to environmental policy • Flexibility • Reducing average background concentration of fine particulates • http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/air/cafe/index.htm