What progress is being made in reducing emissions of acidifying pollutants across Europe?

Key messages

(04 Dec 2013)

• Emissions of the acidifying pollutants, nitrogen oxides (NO_X), sulphur oxides (SO_X) and ammonia (NH₃), have decreased significantly in most of the individual EEA member countries between 1990 and 2011. Emissions of SO_X have decreased by 74%, NO_X by 44% and NH₃ by 25% since 1990 within the EEA-33.
• Data reported under the NECD indicates that in 2011 the EU-28 as a whole met its continuing obligation to maintain emissions of NO_X, SO_X and NH₃ below 2010 target as specified by the EU’s National Emissions Ceiling Directive (NECD). However, the EU-15 as a whole and seven individual Member States, all of which are in the EU-15 group, reported emissions in 2011 above their NECD emission ceilings for NO_X. Four EU member states reported 2011 NH₃ emissions above the levels of their NECD ceilings, three of which are in the group of fifteen pre-2004 EU member states.
• Three additional countries which are current EEA Member States have emission ceilings for 2010 under the UNECE/CLRTAP Gothenburg protocol (Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland). Both Liechtenstein and Norway reported NO_X and NH₃ emissions in 2011 that were higher than their respective 2010 ceilings.

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