Policy makers will today face renewed calls to introduce stronger measures to tackle poor air quality, as a survey reveals the majority of EU citizens do not think governments are doing enough to tackle harmful pollution.

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) NGO will today make the call during a summit marking the start of the European Union’s “year of air”, in which EU air pollution policy will be revised.

The EEB will highlight a new poll by the EU’s public opinion analysts, Eurobarometer, showing that 72 per cent of EU citizens think public authorities are not doing enough to promote good air quality.

A recent study by the European Topic Centre on Air Pollution and Climate Change found poor air quality causes nearly half a million premature deaths in Europe each year and is associated with high economic costs, lost working days and damage to ecosystems.

The EEB is specifically calling on the EU to tighten legal standards for fine particles (PM2.5) that currently fall below those recommended by the World Health Organisation. It is also concerned by the high number of member states that are breaching existing air pollution limits, including the UK.

EU urged to crack down on pollution in ‘year of air’ – 08 Jan 2013 – News from BusinessGreen.