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Exposure of ecosystems to acidification, eutrophication and ozone (CSI 005) - Assessment published Nov 2012
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Eutrophication The magnitude of the risk of ecosystem eutrophication and its geographical coverage has diminished only slightly over the years. The predictions for 2010 and 2020 indicate that the risk is still widespread over Europe. This is in conflict with the EU's long-term objective of not exceeding critical loads of airborne acidifying and eutrophying substances in sensitive ecosystem areas (National Emission Ceilings Directive, 6th Environmental Action Programme, Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution).
Acidification The situation has considerably improved and it is predicted to improve further. The interim environmental objective for 2010 (National Emission Ceilings Directive) will most likely not be met completely. However, the European ecosystem areas where the critical load will be exceeded is predicted to have declined by more than 80 % in 2010 with 1990 as a base year. By 2020, it is expected that the risk of ecosystem acidification will only be an issue at some hot spots, in particular at the border area between the Netherlands and Germany.
Ozone (O 3 ) Most vegetation and agricultural crops are exposed to ozone levels exceeding the long term objective given in the EU Air Quality Directive. A significant fraction is also exposed to levels above the 2010 target value defined in the Directive. Concentrations in 2009 were on the average lower than in 2008. The effect-related accumulated concentrations, addressing exposure of crops to ozone over several summer months, shows large year-to-year variations. Over the period 1996-2009 there is a tendency to increased exposure, although this development has not proven to be statistically significant.
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Exposure of ecosystems to acidification, eutrophication and ozone
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Exposure of ecosystems to acidification, eutrophication and ozone (CSI 005) - Assessment published May 2012
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Eutrophication The magnitude of the risk of
ecosystem eutrophication and its geographical coverage has diminished
only slightly over the years. The predictions for 2010 and 2020 indicate
that the risk is still widespread over Europe. This is in conflict with
the EU's long-term objective of not exceeding critical loads of
airborne acidifying and eutrophying substances in sensitive ecosystem
areas (National Emission Ceilings Directive, 6th Environmental Action
Programme, Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution).
Acidification The situation has considerably
improved and it is predicted to improve further. The interim
environmental objective for 2010 (National Emission Ceilings Directive)
will most likely not be met completely. However, the European ecosystem
areas where the critical load will be exceeded is predicted to have
declined by more than 80 % in 2010 with 1990 as a base year. By 2020, it
is expected that the risk of ecosystem acidification will only be an
issue at some hot spots, in particular at the border area between the
Netherlands and Germany.
Ozone (O 3 ) Most
vegetation and agricultural crops are exposed to ozone levels exceeding the
long-term objective given in the EU Air Quality Directive. A significant
fraction is also exposed to levels above the 2010 target value defined in the
Directive. Concentrations in 2008 were on the average higher than in 2007. The
effect-related accumulated concentrations, addressing exposure of crops to
ozone over several summer months, shows large year-to-year variations, there is
a non-significance tendency to increase.
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Exposure of ecosystems to acidification, eutrophication and ozone
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Use of cleaner and alternative fuels (CSI 037) - Assessment published Sep 2010
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The specifications for low-sulphur fuels (maximum of 50 ppm in 2005) are met in all EU-27 Member States. In 2006, there is already a significant share of zero-sulphur fuels in the EU as many Member States have introduced incentives to promote these fuels ahead of the mandatory deadline (maximum of 10 ppm in 2009). The penetration of biofuels is still relatively low, reaching 2.9 % in the EU-27 in 2007. However, this share has increased by almost 1 % from 2006 to 2007, in view of the 5.75 % objective for 2010.
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Use of cleaner and alternative fuels
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Exposure of ecosystems to acidification, eutrophication and ozone (CSI 005) - Assessment published Aug 2010
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Eutrophication The magnitude of the risk of ecosystem eutrophication and its geographical coverage has diminished only slightly over the years. The predictions for 2010 and 2020 indicate that the risk is still widespread over Europe. This is in conflict with the EU's long-term objective of not exceeding critical loads of airborne acidifying and eutrophying substances in sensitive ecosystem areas (National Emission Ceilings Directive, 6th Environmental Action Programme, Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution).
Acidification The situation has considerably improved and it is predicted to improve further. The interim environmental objective for 2010 (National Emission Ceilings Directive) will most likely not be met completely. However, the European ecosystem areas where the critical load will be exceeded is predicted to have declined by more than 80 % in 2010 with 1990 as a base year. By 2020, it is expected that the risk of ecosystem acidification will only be an issue at some hot spots, in particular at the border area between the Netherlands and Germany. Ozone (O 3 )
Most vegetation and agricultural crops are exposed to ozone levels exceeding the long term objective given in the EU Air Quality Directive. A significant fraction is also exposed to levels above the 2010 target value defined in the Directive. Concentrations in 2007 were lower than in 2006. The effect-related accumulated concentrations, addressing exposure of crops to ozone over several summer months, shows large year-to-year variations, there is a non-significance tendency to increase.
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Exposure of ecosystems to acidification, eutrophication and ozone
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Exceedance of air quality limit values in urban areas (CSI 004) - Assessment published Aug 2010
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Particulate Matter (PM 10 ) In the period 1997-2008, 18-50 % of the urban population was potentially exposed to ambient air concentrations of particulate matter (PM 10 ) in excess of the EU limit value set for the protection of human health (50 microgram /m 3 daily mean not be exceeded more than 35 days a calendar year); (Figure 1). Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) In the period 1997-2008, 6-41 % of the urban population was potentially exposed to ambient air nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) concentrations above the EU limit value set for the protection of human health (40 microgram NO 2 /m 3 annual mean). There was a slight downwards trend over the period (Figure 1). Ozone (O 3 ) In the period 1997-2008, 13-62 % of the urban population in Europe was exposed to ambient ozone concentrations exceeding the EU target value set for the protection of human health (120 microgram O 3 /m 3 daily maximum 8-hourly average, not to be exceeded more than 25 times a calendar year by 2010). The 62 % of the urban population exposed to ambient ozone concentrations over the EU target value was recorded in 2003, which was the record year. There was no discernible trend over the period (Figure 1). Sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) In the period 1997-2008, the fraction of the urban population in EEA-32 member countries that is potentially exposed to ambient air concentrations of sulphur dioxide in excess of the EU limit value set for the protection of human health (125 microgram SO 2 /m 3 daily mean not to be exceeded more than three days a year), decreased to less than 1 %, and as such the EU limit value set is close to being met everywhere in the urban background (Figure 1).
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Exceedance of air quality limit values in urban areas
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Global and European temperature (CSI 012/CLIM 001) - Assessment published Jun 2010
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Global The global (land and ocean) average temperature increase between 1850 and 2009 was 0.74 0 C using combined Hadley centre and CRU datasets compared to the 1850 - 1899 period average temperature and 0.84 0 C using GISS dataset compared to the 1880 - 1899 period average temperature. All used temperature records show the 2000s decade (2000 - 2009) was the warmest decade. The rate of global average temperature change has increased from around 0.06 0 C per decade over last 100 years, to 0.16 - 0.20 0 C in last decade. The best estimates for projected global warming in this century are a further rise in the global average temperature from 1.8 to 4.0 0 C for different scenarios that assume no further/additional action to limit emissions. The EU global temperature target is projected to be exceeded between 2040 and 2060, taking into account all six IPCC scenarios. Europe Europe has warmed more than the global average. The annual average temperature for the European land area up to 2009 was 1.3 0 C above 1850 - 1899 average temperature, and for the combined land and ocean area 1 0 C above. Considering the land area, nine out of the last 12 years were among the warmest years since 1850. High-temperature extremes like hot days, tropical nights, and heat waves have become more frequent, while low - temperature extremes (e.g. cold spells, frost days) have become less frequent in Europe. The average length of summer heat waves over Western Europe doubled over the period 1850 to 2009 and the frequency of hot days almost tripled. The annual average temperature in Europe is projected to rise in this century with the largest warming over eastern and northern Europe in winter, and over Southern Europe in summer. High temperature events across Europe including temperature extremes such as heat waves are projected to become more frequent, intense and longer this century, whereas winter temperature variability and the number of cold and frost extremes are projected to decrease further. According to the projections, the most affected European regions are going to be the Iberian and the Apennine Peninsula and south - eastern Europe.
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Global and European temperature
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Annual variation in the ozone AOT40 value (May-July) in (μg/m³).h, 1996-2007
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Average values over all rural stations which reported data over at least nine years in the period 1996-2007. The light blue line corresponds to the 5-year averaged value.
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Exposure of agricultural area to ozone (exposure expressed as AOT40 in (μg/m³).h) in EEA member countries
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In the Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC) the target value for protection of vegetation is set to 18 000 (μg/m³).h while the long-term objective is set to 6 000 (μg/m³).h. Due to lack of detailed land cover data and/or rural ozone data Iceland and Norway are not included until 2006 and onwards. Switzerland and Turkey have not been included in the analysis for the entire period 1996-2007 due to the same reasons.
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Percentage of urban population resident in areas for days per year with SO2 concentration exceeding daily limit value, EEA member countries, 1997-2008
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The limit value is 125 µg SO2/m³ as a daily mean, not to be exceeded more than three days in a year. Over the years 1997-2008 the total population for which exposure estimates are made, increases from 57 to 97 million people due to an increasing number of monitoring stations reporting under the Exchange of Information Decision. Year-to-year variations in exposure classes are partly caused by the changes in spatial coverage. Only urban and sub-urban background monitoring stations have been included in the calculations. Data for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey are not included due to the geographical coverage of the Urban Audit and/or lack of air quality data.
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4th highest 24-hour mean SO2 concentration observed at (sub)urban stations, EEA member countries, 1997-2008
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Only urban and sub-urban background monitoring stations have been included in the calculations. Data for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, and Turkey are not included due to the geographical coverage of the Urban Audit and/or lack of air quality data.
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