Air pollutant emissions were above legal limits in eight Member States in 2011, preliminary data shows. In 2010, 12 Member States exceeded these limits, according to final official data reported under the European Union’s National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive.

Several air pollutants are still harming health and the environment in Europe. The most serious air pollutants are particulate matter, ozone and nitrogen dioxide, a fact which is also reflected in the new version of AirBase launched today by the European Environment Agency (EEA). AirBase provides publicly-available air quality information for Europe.

“Although the new data shows some clear improvement between 2010 and 2011, Europe still needs to work hard to reduce air pollution,” EEA Executive Director Jacqueline McGlade said. “Emissions from transport are still a major problem, particularly in some cities.”

The NEC Directive covers four main air pollutants: sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and ammonia (NH3). These pollutants can cause respiratory problems, contribute to the acidification of soil and surface water, and damage vegetation.

An early analysis of the official ‘final’ 2010 data confirms twelve Member States exceeded their respective NOx ceilings. According to preliminary data, seven of these Member States continued to breach these NOx ceilings in 2011, in some instances by significant amounts. The status for 30 European countries is shown on the chart below. The data can be explored in depth in the National Emission Ceilings (NEC) interactive chart. Germany was the only Member State to have exceeded three of four emission ceilings under the directive in both 2010 and 2011.

continue reading Air pollution: breaches of legal limits continued through 2010 and 2011 — European Environment Agency (EEA).