Because clean air matters

The Renew Europe group in the European Parliament welcomes the inter – institutional agreement reached this evening between the European Parliament and the Council on the revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directives.

Renew Europe wants to meet citizens' expectations for a toxic-free environment with clean air to breath. It is with this citizen's mandate that Renew Europe has consistently pushed for stricter limits on the exposure of citizens and nature to air pollutants during the negotiations with the Council. By pursuing clear targets for healthy air, Renew Europe aims to ensure that the application of stricter and more ambitious air quality standards combined with clear regulations on air quality monitoring will benefit peoples’ health and will help natural ecosystems to recover.

Thanks to the efforts of our political group, today's outcome of the interinstitutional negotiations provides for a significant improvement in air quality standards across Europe by 2030, with reductions in limit values for key pollutants by more than half compared to current levels. Renew Europe is also satisfied that, in addition to higher ambitions for better air quality, the agreement also ensures that clearer rules for air quality measurements and for corrective measures when standards are exceeded are put in place.

Karin Karlsbro (Liberalerna, Sweden) Renew shadow rapporteur on the revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directives says on the agreement:

”Finally, we have reached an agreement on the new Air Quality Directive. With the new directive Europeans will breathe fresher air thanks to better monitoring, stronger compliance and stricter limits”

Air pollution remains the leading environmental cause of premature deaths in the EU. About 300,000 premature deaths per year and a significant number of diseases are still attributed to polluted air. Renew Europe calls for decisive efforts to ensure that all our citizens can breathe healthy air.