The European Parliament passed stricter, legally binding air pollution limits and mandated compliance by 2030.
The move comes in response to the World Health Organization (WHO) tightening air quality guidelines last year. The guidelines aim to encourage countries to transition to cleaner energy and mitigate health risks associated with dirty air.
With about 300,000 premature deaths due to air pollution alone in Europe each year, EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius highlighted the potential to reduce death by 70% over the next decade through the implementation of stringent regulations.
Europe’s air quality has improved over the last decade, however, the EU court has still taken action against more than ten countries including France, Poland, Italy and Romania for breaching its limits.
Also read: Only 10 countries met air quality guidelines by WHO in 2023
With the deal, the EU governments and the Parliament set stricter 2030 limits, making the currently fragmented air quality indices across the EU comparable, clear, and publicly available.
Also, the legislation empowers individuals affected by air pollution to seek compensation in case of violation.
“This is a law which will protect public health and the health of our citizens, because we know that clean air is not a luxury at all. It’s a right that we should be guaranteeing,” Javi Lopez, a Spanish Member of the Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the Parliament, said.
The law passed with a significant majority in the EU Parliament still needs approval from EU countries to enter into force, usually a formality that approves laws with no changes.
