Air Quality
EU citizens may sue countries for health-damaging dirty air, top court adviser says
Citizens in European Union countries may be able to sue their governments for financial compensation if illegal levels of air pollution damage their health, an adviser to Europe's top court said on Thursday (5 May).
Breathe in, breathe out: Europe must match global air quality standards
Europe must do more to tackle much more to tackle air pollution across the continent, writes Dimitar Nikolov and Rafał Trzaskowski.
Air pollution threatens health of billions of people around the world, warns WHO
Ninety-nine per cent of the global population lives in places that exceed World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality standards, threatening health and causing premature deaths, according to a new study published this week.
Emerging evidence suggests COVID-19 was worsened by air pollution
As science reveals more and more links between air pollution and the effects of COVID-19, the pressure is mounting on the European Commission to set high ambitions in the upcoming revision of the EU's Air Quality Directive.
1.8 million deaths are linked to air pollution worldwide, reports find
Two studies published in Lancet underlined the negative effects of air pollution, which resulted in 1.8 million excess deaths and nearly 2 million asthma cases among children worldwide. In Europe lowering levels of pollutants did not result in better health.
Air pollution in Europe still killing 300,000 a year: EEA
Premature deaths caused by fine particle air pollution have fallen 10% annually across Europe, but the invisible killer still accounts for 307,000 premature deaths a year, the European Environment Agency said Monday (15 November). If the latest air quality guidelines...
Europe’s industrial air pollution costing hundreds of billions: EEA
Air pollution from industries in Europe causes health and environmental damage estimated at up to €430 billion for a single year, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said Wednesday (29 September).
Western Balkans pressed to tackle deadly air pollution from coal
The Europe Union needs to put more pressure on the Western Balkans to decarbonise their coal-fuelled energy system as pollution levels remain well above compliance thresholds, according to a report published on Tuesday (7 September).
Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ contaminate indoor air at worrying levels, study finds
Food and water were thought to be the main ways humans are exposed to PFAS, but a new study points to risk of breathing them in. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
Draft EU policy to cut shipping emissions condemned as ‘disaster’
A leaked draft of a key EU policy designed to cut carbon emissions in shipping, one of the world’s biggest polluters, has been described as an environmental disaster for “promoting” liquified natural gas, a fossil fuel, as an alternative to heavy oil. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
Germany convicted for breaching EU air quality law
The European Court of Justice ruled on Thursday (3 June) that Germany "systematically and persistently" exceeded the annual limit values for nitrogen oxide in Berlin, Dortmund, Hamburg and many other cities.
Carmakers are killing our right to clean air
The car industry has fiercely criticised proposed Euro 7 emissions standards, claiming the regulation will cripple sales. But this is just another chapter in a long history of misleading the public, writes Anna Krajinska.
Brussels spells out EU air quality goals as part of ‘zero pollution’ plan
Europe needs to halve premature deaths caused by air pollution by 2030 and bring air quality standards closer to World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines, according to the European Commission's zero pollution action plan, announced on Wednesday (12 May).
EU seeks ‘reliable’ method to measure microplastic pollution from tyres
An EU regulation on tyre labelling due to come into force on 1 May will not cover the rate at which tyres shed particles – a major contributor to microplastics in Europe – as an agreed method for the calculation of abrasion is still not in place.
First lockdown in France improved air quality, avoided thousands of deaths
Several thousands of deaths were avoided due to the reduced emissions of air pollution particles during the first COVID-19 lockdown, the French health agency said on Wednesday (14 April). EURACTIV France reports.
Europe halfway towards closing all coal power plants by 2030
Half of Europe's 324 coal-fuelled power plants have either closed or announced a retirement date before 2030, it emerged on Monday (22 March) when French power utility EDF announced the 162nd plant will close in 2022.
EU court raps Britain for air pollution
The EU Court of Justice on Thursday (4 March) admonished Britain for air pollution over urban areas including London that "persistently" breached European Union levels for nitrogen-dioxide associated with heavy vehicle traffic.
Virus lockdowns caused shift to ‘private mobility’: report
The need to avoid crowded spaces led Europeans to opt for "private mobility modes", such as cycling, walking, and private vehicles, according to the European Mobility Atlas 2021, a report analysing key facts and figures about transport in Europe.
Reducing air pollution could save 50,000 deaths a year, says new Lancet report
Reducing air pollution to World Health Organisation recommended levels would prevent more than 50,000 deaths a year across European cities, according to a new study published in The Lancet Planetary Health journal.
Czech health minister backs coal mining phase-out ‘as soon as possible’
Czech health minister Jan Blatný is aware of the negative impacts of coal mining on the environment and human health. “Personally, I am in favour of a coal mining phase-out as soon as possible,” he told EURACTIV.cz.
‘Dieselgate’ defeat devices were illegal, top EU court confirms
The European Court of Justice ruled on Thursday (17 December) that it had been illegal for car companies to install devices to defeat emissions tests and mislead motorists about diesel pollution levels.
European air quality improves but still detrimental to health
Air quality has improved significantly across Europe over the past 10 years, but pollution still contributes to significant numbers of premature deaths, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).
Air pollution fell, plastic use soared during Europe lockdowns
Coronavirus lockdowns in Europe have led to some environmental improvements such as better air quality and lower carbon emissions, but they are temporary and coupled with a surge in single-use plastic, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said Thursday (5 November).