EU focus on clean air

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EU focus on clean air

European Commission

Directorate-General

Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection

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A great deal of additional information on the European Union is available on the Internet.

It can be accessed through the Europa server (http://europa.eu.int).

Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication.

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1999

ISBN 92-828-4803-5

Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged.

Printed in Germany

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Preface

European Union policy concerning the protection of the

environment and natural resources has steadily grown in

importance since the 1980s. The reason for this is that the

threats of environmental damage and depletion of natural

resources are still far from being under control. Fortunately,

many people have become more aware of the hidden dangers

and have demanded stronger action at national and,

especially, European level in order to protect the

environment.

As a result, the range of measures at our disposal in order to

conduct environmental policy, ranging from legislation to

financial instruments, has been strengthened enormously. In

particular, the Treaty of Amsterdam has made the principle of

sustainable development and a high level of environmental

protection one of the top priorities (Article 2). Our policy has

also become much broader and more diversified, covering all

sectors of society and encompassing a wide range of

instruments.

Some topics are of particular concern to many European

citizens. One of these is air quality. This is also one of the

areas in which Europe has been most active in recent years.

The European Commission has aimed to develop an overall

strategy. Member States are required to transpose and

implement new directives on air quality which set long-term

quality objectives. But it is also our direct responsibility to

cope with this problem, changing our day by day behaviour.

Let's leave the car in the garage in favour of walking, biking

or using public transport whenever possible! Only then will

our cities become a better place to live in.

Like the availability of capital, manpower, or transport

infrastructure, the quality of air is likely to become a

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determining factor in the location of investment and therefore

economic growth of a region. The way in which not only

cities, but also companies, organise their transport systems

will become, without any doubt, one of the major priorities of

years to come.

How to inform citizens on air quality? European legislation

defines precise obligations, relating to informing the public

in the event of significant pollution such as ozone

exceedances of recent years. Each one of us has the right to

demand national and local authorities to take action to

improve our air quality.

The European air strategy is addressed in this brochure. It is

intended to inform local and regional players, NGOs, policy-

makers at all levels, social partners and consumers, as well as

citizens. We also hope this information will give you ideas

about how you can make your own particular contribution

towards resolving environmental problems.

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We all need good quality air for our own health and that of

our environment. But over the last few years many of us have

seen newspaper headlines reflecting the dangerous effects of

emissions to the air from human activities. For example:

‘More children suffering from asthma’;

‘Hole in the ozone layer getting larger’;

‘Forests dying due to acid rain’;

‘More storms and droughts in the future’.

Concrete action already taken at different levels —

international, European, national and local — has helped, but

more still needs to be done.

Climate change

Natural variations in the earth’s climate have always

occurred. But recently changes have been taking place which,

it is generally accepted, result from human activities. This

‘global warming’ is due to the release of increased amounts

of so-called greenhouse gases which affect the level of

absorption and emission of the sun’s radiation through the

earth’s atmosphere.

Main causes:

∑• carbon dioxide (CO2) from energy use, transport, industrial

processes, deforestation;

∑∑• methane (CH4) from energy production and use, certain

forms of agriculture, landfills;

∑∑• nitrous oxide (N2O) from fertilised soils, biomass burning,

combustion of fossil fuels;

∑∑• chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from industrial activities,

refrigeration, aerosols.

Air in Europe —

the issues

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Main effects:

• rise in sea-level;

∑• increased extreme weather conditions such as floods, storms

and droughts.

Ozone depletion

The ozone layer which protects the earth from harmful

ultra-violet radiation has become thinner and thinner over

the last 25 years. Over Antarctica, the ozone layer has been so

badly damaged that a hole has developed which is gradually

getting bigger.

Main causes:

∑• chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and to a lesser extent

hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) from refrigeration, foam

blowing, aerosols and solvents;

∑• methyl bromide from soil fumigation in agriculture and

biomass burning.

Main effects:

• skin cancer in humans;

∑• damage to marine ecosystems.

Acidification

Acidifying substances deposited in soil and water can have

serious effects on certain species of plants and animals. Many

of these substances result from human industrial activities

and are carried by the wind thousands of kilometres from

their source before being deposited. Acid deposition is

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currently well above tolerance levels in many ecosystems. For

example, around 20 % of forests and lakes in Scandinavia are

dead and another 30 % have been badly affected, mostly by

pollution from other countries.

Main causes:

∑• sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from

burning of fossil fuels;

∑• ammonia (NH3) from agriculture.

Main effects:

∑• plants and fish die because they cannot survive in more

acidic environments;

∑• building materials are damaged;

• pollutants like heavy metals and nitrates are more easily

released into groundwater.

Problems like global warming, ozone depletion and

acidification are very worrying, but can seem remote from

our daily life. Of more direct concern to many health experts,

policy-makers and citizens is the link between poor air

quality and human health. Polluted air is a problem,

especially in our cities.

Urban areas are where most of our industry and traffic is

concentrated, and are home to almost 80 % of the European

population. Action taken over the last 30 years to tackle the

worst air pollution from industry in European cities has

improved the situation greatly. However, huge increases in

Urban air quality

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car traffic over the same period mean that poor air quality,

caused by vehicle emissions to the air, still poses a serious

danger to human health.

Pollutant

Main source

Main health effects

Benzene

Motor vehicles

Causes cancer

Chemical industry

Affects the central nervous system

Heavy metals

Industrial processes

Cause cancer

(e.g. arsenic,cadmium,

Energy production

Give digestive problems

lead, mercury and nickel)

Motor vehicles

Damage the nervous system

Nitrogen dioxide

Motor vehicles

Causes respiratory illnesses

Other fuel combustion processes

Damages lung tissues

Ozone

Transformation of nitrogen oxides

Produces respiratory problems

and volatile organic compounds

Reduces lung function

produced by traffic in the

Worsens asthma

presence of sunlight

Irritates eyes and nose

Reduces resistance to infections

Particulates

Fuel burning — e.g. diesel and wood

Cause cancer

Industry

Produce cardiac problems

Agriculture — e.g. ploughing,

Give rise to respiratory diseases

burning-off for fields

Increase the risk of infant mortality

Secondary chemical reactions

Sulphur dioxide

Fuel combustion

Causes respiratory problems

Source: European Commission: Clean air for Europe’s cities, 1997.

Table 1

Air pollutants and health

Transport and air pollution

Nowadays we travel more often and further by all modes of

transport but especially by private car. Cars are used for

almost eight out of every ten kilometres travelled in the

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Graph 1

Passenger transport

(billion passenger-kilometres) and

modal split (% of all kilometres

travelled), EU-15 1970-94

Source: European Commission (DG VII, Eurostat).

European Union. Half of all car journeys are under six

kilometres in length.

Growth in car traffic has come about for a number of reasons:

• Land-use planning — the planned separation of homes,

workplaces, shopping and recreation centres, forces us to

travel by car as other forms of transport are not available or

are inconvenient.

∑• Increased city size — through such planning, cities have

grown outwards. Many of us live in suburbs. Distances to be

covered are greater. It is very expensive to run good public

transport services to these areas.

∑• Investment in roads, both within and outside cities, has

been far greater than in public transport.

∑• The real price of travel by car compared to the general cost

of living has decreased and continues to fall, meaning that

we can travel further and more often. As we are generally

richer than 25 years ago many of us can afford to buy

second and third cars.

∑• Car culture — although we travel more by all modes of

transport there is a certain status attached to owning and

using a car.

With such tremendous growth in car traffic it is not surprising

that our cities have become congested and polluted. People

used to travel more quickly in our cities in the days of the

horse and cart than they do now during peak times — not

exactly the freedom and speed of movement which we seek!

And, although car engines individually are now cleaner than

before, what we have gained by reducing emissions per car

we have lost by using more cars to cover more kilometres.

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What is the

European Union

doing?

Air pollution is a problem which affects every one of us. And

we all have a role to play in finding the solutions. The

European Union is playing its part at a number of different

levels.

At international level

Air pollution does not respect national boundaries and

sometimes can be best tackled at international level. EU

actions include the following:

Climate change

At the Kyoto international environmental summit in December

1997 it was agreed that industrial countries would reduce their

greenhouse gases by 5.2 %. The EU agreed to reduce its

emissions by 8 %.

Ozone depletion

The EU’s 1996 targets for the elimination of CFCs were met. The

objective of a 35 % reduction in the level of HCFCs by 2004,

followed by a total ban by 2030 are on schedule.

Acidification

As a whole, the EU has met the requirements of international

acidifying substances protocols under the United Nations

treaty on long-distance transboundary air pollution.

At European level

At international level the EU can only persuade and

encourage other countries to take action. Within Europe, the

European Commission is able to propose new legislation

which must be incorporated into Member States’ law. Through

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legislation much progress has been made in tackling

pollutants like sulphur dioxide, lead and CFCs.

However, the European Commission realises that legislation

alone is not enough and, through a range of other tools, is

helping Member States to improve their air quality by:

• entering into agreements with industry;

• supporting scientific research and technological

development;

∑• assisting sectoral and spatial planning;

∑• improving the quality and quantity of environmental data;

∑• examining alternative fiscal measures to favour sustainable

development;

∑• supporting public information and educational campaigns;

∑• promoting professional education and training;

∑• providing financial support.

At city level

The new framework directive on urban air quality

management is a key element of the EC strategy for improved

air quality. It imposes strict monitoring requirements on cities

for a number of pollutants as well as the duty to prepare

action plans to deal with poor air quality over the short and

long term. An important option offered to city authorities by

the framework directive is the right to ‘suspend activities,

including motor-vehicle traffic when there is a risk of limit

values being exceeded’. Information is a major requirement

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Box 1

Selected current EU actions to improve air quality

• Introduction of an environmental

impact assessment directive for land

use planning.

• Adoption of a new framework

directive on air quality and plans for

so-called ‘daughter directives’.

∑

• Tightening of legislation relating to

vehicle emissions, fuel composition

and noise control. Agreement with

the oil and automobile industries on

the ‘auto-oil programme’ to reduce

noxious emissions.

• Promotion of good practices in

sustainable transport. For example,

the European Commission supports

the car free cities network which

currently comprises 60 members —

including Amsterdam, Barcelona,

Copenhagen and Palermo — has

working groups on commercial

traffic, public transport, car sharing,

road pricing, commuting, less pol-

luting urban vehicles, and cycling

and walking. The EC also supports

ELTIS — the European local transport

information service — an on-line

database of good practices.

• Evaluation and development of new

technology, including road pricing

and route guidance throughout the

EU.

• Promotion of cycling as a mode of

transport, for example through the

Eurovélo programme with its

planned trans-European network of

cycle paths.

Past successes —

hope for the future

of the framework directive. When air quality standards are

breached cities must make public their plans to improve the

situation.

Although air quality issues continue to cause concern,

particularly in cities due to increased car traffic, the picture is

not all doom and gloom. Success stories are to be found, and

their number is growing all the time.

As part of the international effort to achieve a reduction in

greenhouse gas emissions, the EU adopted in 1996 a strategy

on reducing CO2 emissions from new passenger cars. As part

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of this strategy, the Commission has made a voluntary

agreement with the European automobile manufacturers,

where industry has committed itself to reduce average CO2

emissions from new passenger cars by 25 % over the next

decade; further agreements will now be made with importers.

To complement the agreements with car manufacturers the EC

has proposed a fuel-economy information scheme which will

provide objective information on the fuel consumption of

passenger cars to consumers.

Compared to their peak value, annual production of

substances which deplete the ozone layer has been reduced

by between 80 and 90 %.

Emissions of sulphur dioxide in Europe were reduced by 50 %

between 1980 and 1995.

New public transport systems recently opened in several cities

across Europe have attracted an increased share of passengers

through their high service levels and quality, combined with

actions taken to deter car use.

Many cities have made their centres car free, making

themselves safer, cleaner, more pleasant places to live, work,

shop and relax.

Whilst planners and politicians often continue to focus on

meeting the needs of the car, more and more people realise

that cycling is a real alternative mode of transport in the city.

Examples of new city cycle path networks can be found from

Volos in Greece to Dublin in Ireland.

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What can each of

us do?

Some of the solutions to our air quality problems lie in new

technology. But in itself technology is not enough. We must

all consider the options available to us for the way we plan,

travel and live. We can all make a difference!

As a citizen

1. Think seriously before using your car for a journey.

Consider the benefits offered by other modes of transport.

For example:

• increased safety

• reduced congestion

• better health

• saved time

• saved money

2. If you still decide to drive, what about sharing a vehicle

with someone? Many employers run car pooling and car

sharing schemes. And maintain your car in good order —

engines, tyres and filters in good condition save emissions

and money!

3. Buy ‘green’: for example, when buying your next car, take

advantage of the European ‘carbon dioxide and cars’

labelling scheme (which should come into effect in 2001) to

buy a less polluting vehicle.

4. Let your municipality see that you support measures to

improve facilities for public transport, cyclists and

pedestrians. Point out what has been done in other places

you have visited.

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As an employer

Congestion is an enemy of business, costing an estimated EUR

120 billion (or 2 % of European GDP) every year in Europe.

Your business is clearly not helped by all the traffic on our

roads. As an employer, there are a variety of possible mea-

sures you can take.

1. Look at moving raw materials and end products around in

conjunction with other local firms, cutting both costs and

environmental impact.

2. Start a ‘commuter plan’ with your local authority or with

other businesses to encourage your staff to use alternative

means of transport to the car to get to work. For example,

encourage your employees to travel to work together, car

sharing or car pooling, offer travelcards for public trans-

port, start a (mini)bus pick-up service from central points,

improve cycling facilities at your company.

3. Examine the company car policy of your business — do so

many people need to use a company car?

As a local authority

The same pattern of development — concentration of homes,

industry and traffic — which contributes to poor air quality in

cities, provides an opportunity to tackle these problems in an

integrated and cost-effective way. Further, in this era of glob-

alisation, an accessible city, with a pleasant and healthy envi-

ronment, is attractive for outside investors, as well as for its

citizens. There are a number of important considerations.

1. Plan your city so that people do not need to travel so far or

so often. Concentrate new developments within the city,

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not on the edge, and around public transport nodes —

train stations, metro, tram and bus stops. Mix different

functions — home, work, shopping and leisure.

2. Restrict car access to, and parking in, certain areas.

3. Enter into partnerships with local businesses to help them

establish commuting plans and find alternative ways to

move freight around.

4. Invest in public transport to make sure that it is of good

quality, frequent, reliable, punctual, safe and clean but

not expensive. Offer interchanges where passengers can

easily and quickly transfer between different modes of

transport (for example, car/tram, tram/bus). Favour

public transport through dedicated bus-lanes, priority at

traffic lights and access to areas where cars are restricted.

5. Ensure that pedestrians and cyclists can move safely

around your city. Provide car-free areas, safe road cross-

ings, cycle paths and cycle parking facilities.

6. Undertake information campaigns to empower citizens and

businesses to reduce their car usage.

7. Exchange information with other cities in Europe — many

are or have been in the same situation. You may not have

to reinvent the wheel.

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Further information and order form

Directorate-General XI is the arm of the European Commission

responsible for matters of environment, civil protection and

nuclear safety. Units mainly responsible for the issues covered

in this brochure are:

Unit D.3 Air quality, transport and urban environment, noise,

energy

Unit A.2 Climate change

DG XI produces regular reports and other publications

covering the full spectrum of environmental themes. For more

information on European Union action to improve our air

quality please complete and send or fax the attached form to:

European Commission

Directorate-General XI

Unit XI.5 Information and communication

Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat 200

B-1049 Brussels

Fax (32-2) 296 95 60

European environmental information is also available

on-line on:

http://www.europa.eu.int/com/dg11

Other useful sources of information:

European Environment

Agency

Kongens Nytorv 6

DK-1050 Copenhagen K

Fax (45) 33 36 71 99

eea@eea.eu.int

http://www.eea.eu.int

Eurostat Datashop

13 Chaussée d’Etterbeek

B-1049 Brussels

Fax (32-2)-295.01.25

datashop.brussels@eurostat.cec.be

http://europa.eu.int/eurostat.html

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Good Practice in Urban

Management and Sustainability

http://europa.eu.int/comm/urban

ELTIS

European Local Transport

Information System

POLIS

C/o Eurocities

Square de Meeûs, 18

B-1050 Bruxelles

Tel (32-2)-552.08.52

Fax (32-2)-552.08.61

eltis@pophost.eunet.be

http://www.eltis.org

EPOMM

European Platform on Mobility

Management

Contact person in DG VII: Marcel

Rommerts

Tel (32-2)-295.53.34

Car Free Cities

Square de Meeûs 18

B-1050 Brussels

Fax: (32-2)-552.08.89

cfc@eurocities.be

http://www.carfree.com

The European Sustainable Cities &

Towns Campaign

Rue de Trèves/Trierstraat 49-51

B-1040 Brussels

Tel (32-2)-230.53.51

Fax (32-2)-230.88.50

campaign.office@skynet.be

Energie-Cités

2, chemin de Palente

F-25000 Besançon

Tel (33-3)-81.65.36.80

Fax (33-3)-81.50.73.51

*@energie-cites.org

http://www.ergie-cites.org

UITP

International Association of Public

Transport

Av. Herman Debroux 17

B-1160 Brussels

Tel (32-2)-673.61.00

Fax (32-2)-660.10.72

administration@uitp.com

Transport & Environment

Bd. de Waterloo, 34

B-1000 Brussels

Tel (32-2)-502.99.09

Fax (32-2)-502.99.08

European Cyclists’ Federation

Av. Broqueville 158 (b3)

B-1200 Bruxelles

Fax (32-2)-762.30.03

European Car Sharing

Manteuffelstr. 40

D-10997 Berlin

Tel (49)-30-611.90.25

Fax (49)-30-611.37.27

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European Commission

EU focus on clean air

Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities

1999 — 18 pp. — 21 x 21 cm

ISBN 92-828-4803-5

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