Air pollution - Why care? (Germany)

Airborne pollutants have a negative effect on the environment and human health – respiratory diseases were linked to airborne pollutants in Germany as early as the 1970s. The protective measures concentrated initially on achieving a reduction in pollutant emissions in order to counteract the risks to human health. In the 1970s, the global problem, as well as local or regional ones, of pollutant emissions was recognised.

Air pollutants make a significant contribution to the pollution burden on ecosystems and biodiversity. The phenomenon of cross-border acid rain, recognised since the 1970s, made it clear that environmental problems could only be addressed through EU law – for example the National Emissions Ceilings Directive (NEC Directive) – if the issues of ground-level ozone, acidification and eutrophication were to be resolved throughout Europe.