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Environmental information systems
On 23 November 2024, Directive (EU) 2024/2881 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (recast) was published, entering into force on 10 December 2024 (EU, 2024). Member States have 2 years to adopt and transpose the laws, regulations and administrative provisions.
The revised directive introduces new and revised air quality (AQ) standards that must be met by 1 January 2030, emphasising the need for early action to achieve cleaner air (see text box 2).
Box 2. What’s different in the revised directive?
The revised directive (EU, 2024) is a key element to achieve a zero-pollution ambition for the European Union by 2050 (EC, 2021). It supports the achievement of the interim 2030 goal of reducing the number of premature deaths caused by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) by at least 55% compared with 2005 levels.
Air quality standards that provide greater protection
The revised directive significantly tightens air quality standards, aligning them more closely with WHO recommendations. For example, it cuts by more than half the annual limit value for fine particulate matter (PM2.5). An analysis comparing the revised AQ standards, to be attained from 2030 onwards, is included in this chapter.
The revised directive also introduces stricter exposure reduction targets for PM2.5 and new ones for NO2, aligning the average exposure objectives with the WHO annual guidance levels (WHO, 2021) (see text box 1 in the section ‘Average exposure indicator’).
It revises information and alert thresholds and included new thresholds for particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10). Short term action plans will have to be drawn up and implemented if these thresholds are exceeded.
Recognizing that some Member States may face challenges in meeting the new AQ standards, the revised directive includes flexibility mechanisms. Postponements to attain the new AQ standards can be requested under specific conditions.
More extensive air quality monitoring and modelling
Assessment thresholds determine when continuous measurements are needed. These have been lowered in line with WHO guideline levels, meaning more monitoring stations will be needed across Europe. The revised directive also expands monitoring to include previously unregulated pollutants such as ultrafine particles (UFP), black carbon and ammonia. The new concept of ‘supersites’ was introduced. These are monitoring sites where additional pollutants of emerging concern will be measured, in both rural and urban locations, providing crucial scientific data to improve our understanding of their effects on human health and the environment – as recommended by the WHO.
The ‘hotspots’ concept has also been introduced. This highlights areas with particularly high pollution levels that require specific monitoring efforts. There is an additional obligation to measure UFP at hotspots.
Air quality modelling will play a more significant role in air quality assessment, helping to determine the spatial representativeness of air quality monitoring stations. Furthermore, modelling applications will become compulsory to assess the extent of AQ standard exceedances.
More effective implementation measures, better public information and continuous improvement
The revised directive also strengthens compliance and enforcement measures. To ensure compliance, Member States must develop air quality roadmaps before the 2030 standards take effect, when there is an exceedance of 2030 limit or target values in the period from 2026 to 2029. Strengthened air quality plans aim to be more effective in ending exceedances of EU standards.
Information to the public must now include mandatory air quality indexes and health impact data, especially for vulnerable groups. Member States should, for example, make publicly available information on symptoms associated with air pollution peaks and on protection behaviours.
Citizens affected by air pollution can also seek compensation if EU air quality laws are breached. Improved enforceability also includes new provisions on access to justice, compensation and penalties.
The revised directive marks a significant step in Europe’s efforts to combat air pollution but further efforts will be needed to continue improving air quality and progress towards reaching WHO guidelines levels across the European Union. To ensure ongoing improvements, the revised directive mandates periodic reviews. The first is scheduled for 31 December 2030, with subsequent reviews every 5 years.
If air pollution levels exceed the 2030 AQ standards in the coming years (i.e., during 2026 to 2029 period), Member States will need to assess whether they are on track to comply with the legislation. If necessary, they must implement measures to ensure compliance by 2030, including the development of air quality roadmaps.
The 2030 AQ standards not only impose changes in concentration limits but also adjustments to the allowed number of occasions of allowed exceedance for daily and hourly limit values. As a result, Member States might need to develop new data aggregations when reporting against the 2030 AQ standards. The EEA has completed preliminary calculations and developed new maps to support an initial assessment identifying the number of air quality stations that already have concentrations below the revised standards. The assessment also highlights areas where early intervention may be required to meet the revised AQ standards by 2030.
It is important to recognize several limitations in this assessment:
- This is not an assessment of compliance as the limits do not apply until 2030.
- This is essentially an analysis of the distance-to-target from the actual 2023 status. It does not consider the projected 2030 pollutant emissions, which will reflect revised emissions legislation as well as existing AQ plans and future AQ roadmaps.
- Trends in air quality have in the past been continuously improving. Over the years, air quality has significantly improved for most pollutants, as highlighted in the recent ETC HE report: Long-term trends of air pollutants at the European and national levels (2005–2021) (ETC HE, 2023).
- Among all pollutants, SO2 has shown the most significant decrease, with average concentrations dropping by over 60% between 2005 and 2021. NO2 levels have declined by approximately 38% over the same period, though notable differences exist between countries. PM10 concentrations have decreased by 42% between 2005 and 2021, with a similar trend observed for PM2.5. Conversely, while annual mean concentrations of O3 have increased, peak values have shown a slight decline.
- The more ambitious AQ standards of the revised directive mean that Member States will need to further reduce their air pollutants emissions to attain these levels in 2030. According to the results of the Fourth Clean Air Outlook (EC, 2025) the air pollutants concentration are expected to fall over time, but still 87% of the EU population are projected to be exposed to PM2.5 levels above the WHO guidance level of 5 μg/m3 in 2030 under the baseline scenario (EC et al., 2025).
- This assessment is limited to currently existing monitoring stations, although their number is expected to increase by 2030 to meet new regulatory requirements. Air quality monitoring networks and AQ zones may also be adjusted to comply with the revised directive. Some revised AQ standards, such as the AEI for NO2 and PM2.5, have not been included, as Member States must first establish the required average exposure territorial units (see also text box 1 in ‘Average exposure indicator’).
- Finally, this assessment does not account for possible deductions due to natural sources or, in the case of PM10, for winter sanding and salting.
The revised Directive (EU) 2024/2881 (EU, 2024) introduces stricter air quality standards for most pollutants compared to AAQD 2008/50/EC (EU, 2008). Most of the revised AQ standards levels were aligned with interim targets prior to WHO guideline levels (WHO, 2021).
As a summary, Figure 12 presents the percentage of stations with concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and O3, assessed against the 2030 standards. For those stations with concentrations above the 2030 standards, the graph further categorises them into different concentration ranges above the relevant 2030 limit (LV) or target (TV) value:
- Stations with concentrations up to 25% above the LV or TV;
- Stations with concentrations 25–50% above the LV or TV;
- Stations with concentrations exceeding 50% of the LV or TV.
Figure 12. Comparison of 2023 air quality data against 2030 limit values
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A significant proportion of stations in 2023 already comply with the 2030 limit values (LVs) for all pollutants, particularly for NO2, where more than 70% of stations had concentrations below the ALV and 91% of stations had concentrations below the DLV. PM2.5 shows a lower number of stations below the 2030 ALV, though 59% of stations were below the limits.
Stations proportion below daily limit values (DLV) is generally higher than with ALVs, particularly for NO2, where approximately 91% of stations fell below this short-term standard.
Similarly, for particulate matter (PM), both PM10 and PM2.5, more stations (around 10% of the total) in 2023 had concentrations below the DLV than below the ALV.
Among stations exceeding the ALV, a significant portion remains close to the target (<25% above the limit). However, for PM2.5, of the 41% of stations above the ALV, almost one third of those were close to the target (13% of 2023 reporting stations), while more than another third (16% of 2023 reporting stations) had concentrations of at least 15 μg/m3 (50% above the ALV).
Over 71% of reporting stations were below the ozone threshold. Nonetheless, a high proportion of stations reported levels between 120 µg/m3 and 150 µg/m3 (27% of 2023 reporting stations).
A detailed analysis with maps is provided for each pollutant in the following sections.
Results per pollutant
PM10
The daily limit value (DLV) for 24-hour PM10 concentrations has been reduced from 50μg/m3 to 45μg/m3, while the allowed number of exceedances per year has been lowered from 35 to 18 days. Similarly, the annual limit value (ALV) has been halved, from 40μg/m3 to 20μg/m3.
Table 6. Comparison between the current air quality standards and 2030 standards for PM10
Directive 2008/50/CE | Directive (EU) 2024/2881 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AQ standard | Averaging Period | Limit value | Times in a calendar year | Limit value | Times in a calendar year |
Daily limit value (DLV) | 24 hours | 50μg/m3 | 35 days/year | 45μg/m3 | 18 days/year |
Annual limit value (ALV) | 1 calendar year | 40μg/m3 | 20μg/m3 |
Map 6. Concentrations of PM10 in 2023 in relation to the 2030 EU daily limit value
74% of reporting stations had concentrations below the 2030 DLV in 2023. In eight Member States (Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg and Netherlands), all stations had concentrations below the 2030 DLV in 2023. All measured PM10 levels in Iceland, Switzerland and Andorra were below the 2030 DLV in 2023.
Map 7. Concentrations of PM10 in 2023 in relation to the 2030 EU annual limit value
65% of reporting stations had concentrations below the 2030 ALV in 2023. In five Member States (Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia and Luxemburg), all stations already had concentrations below the 2030 ALV in 2023. All PM10 levels in Iceland, Switzerland and Andorra were below the 2030 ALV in 2023.
PM2.5
A new daily limit value (DLV) has been included, set at 25μg/m3 with a maximum 18 days above this value allowed per year. Additionally, the annual limit value (ALV) has been lowered from 25μg/m3 to 10μg/m3.
Table 7. Comparison between the current air quality standards and 2030 standards for PM2.5
Directive 2008/50/CE | Directive (EU) 2024/2881 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AQ standard | Averaging Period | Limit value | Times in a calendar year | Limit value | Times in a calendar year |
Daily limit value (DLV) | 24 hours | 25μg/m3 | 18 days/year | ||
Annual limit value (ALV) | 1 calendar year | 25μg/m3 | 10μg/m3 |
Map 8. Concentrations of PM2.5 in 2023 in relation to the 2030 EU daily limit value
69% of reporting stations had concentrations below the 2030 DLV in 2023. In 11 Member States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden) all reported stations had concentrations below the 2030 DLV in 2023. PM2.5 levels in Andorra, Iceland and Switzerland were below 2030 DLV in 2023.
Map 9. Concentrations of PM2.5 in 2023 in relation to the 2030 EU annual limit value
59% of reporting stations had concentrations below the 2030 ALV in 2023. In seven Member States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Netherlands and Portugal) all stations had concentrations below the 2030 ALV in 2023. PM2.5 levels in Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Andorra were below the 2030 ALV in 2023.
O3
The ozone target value for protection of human health concentration defined as the maximum daily 8-hour mean has remained at 120μg/m3 but the allowed number of days in exceedance per year has been reduced from 25 to 18 days, averaged over 3 years. The ozone long-term objective for protection of human health has been aligned with the WHO short-term ozone guideline value to protect human health, 100μg/m3, to be attained by 1 January 2050.
Table 8. Comparison between the current air quality standards and 2030 standards for ozone
Directive 2008/50/CE | Directive (EU) 2024/2881 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AQ standard | Averaging Period | Value | Times in a calendar year | Value | Times in a calendar year |
TV protection of human health | Maximum daily 8h mean | 120μg/m3 | 25 days /year averaged over 3 years | 120μg/m3 | 18 days /year averaged over 3 years |
Long term objective protection of human health | Maximum daily 8h mean | 120μg/m3 | 100μg/m3 | 99th percentile (i.e. 3 exceedance days per year). |
Map 10. Concentrations of O3 in 2023 in relation to the 2030 EU target value
71% of reporting stations had concentrations below the 2030 target value threshold in 2023. In seven Member States (Ireland, Latvia, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Denmark and Lithuania) all stations had concentrations below the 2030 TV in 2023. O3 levels in Norway, Albania and Andorra were below the 2030 TV threshold in all reporting stations in 2023.
NO2
The hourly limit (HLV) remains the same (200mg/m3), but the revised directive only allows for three occasions per year above the limit (instead of 18 occasions under the 2008 AAQD)
A new daily limit (DLV) is included in the 2024 Directive at 50μg/m3, whereas no daily limit value is defined in the 2008 directive.
The annual limit value (ALV) has been halved, from 40mg/m3 to 20μg/m3 in the revised directive.
Table 9. Comparison between the current air quality standards and 2030 standards for NO2
Directive 2008/50/CE | Directive (EU) 2024/2881 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AQ standard | Averaging Period | Limit value | Times in a calendar year | Limit value | Times in a calendar year |
Hourly limit value (HLV) | 1 hour | 200μg/m3 | 18 hours/year | 200μg/m3 | 3 hours/ year |
Daily limit value (DLV) | 50μg/m3 | 18 days/ year | |||
Annual limit value (ALV) | 1 calendar year | 40μg/m3 | 20g/m3 |
In 2023, 98.5% of reporting stations had NO2 concentrations below the 2030 HLV. All stations in 23 Member States had concentrations below the 2030 HLV in 2023, while only four Member States (Belgium, Greece, Italy and Spain) had one station with concentrations above the HLV. All other reporting countries had concentrations below the 2030 HLV in 2023, except Türkiye.
Map 11. Concentrations of NO2 in 2023 in relation to the 2030 EU daily limit value
In 2023, 91% of reporting stations had concentrations below the 2030 DLV.
In 10 Member States (Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Luxemburg, Malta, Slovakia and Sweden), all stations had concentrations below the 2030 DLV in 2023. NO2 levels in Andorra, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Switzerland were all below the 2030 DLV in all reporting stations.
Map 12. Concentrations of NO2 in 2023 in relation to the 2030 EU annual limit value
70% of reporting stations had concentrations below the 2030 ALV in 2023.
All stations in Estonia were already below the 2030 ALV in 2023. All other Member States had stations with levels above the 2030 ALV.
Kosovo and Montenegro stations also had concentrations below the 2030 ALV.
BaP and metals
The new limit value for BaP has been set at 1.0ng/m3, the same value as the current target value of 1ng/m3 (see 2023 map and analyses for further information on the distance-to-target).
The revised annual limit values for arsenic, cadmium, and nickel have been preserved at the same levels but reclassified from target values to limit values (see the 2023 analyses for further details on the distance to target).
The annual limit value for lead has also been maintained at 0.5 µg/m³, as established in the 2008 directive.
Other pollutants
Table 10. Comparison between the current air quality standards and 2030 standards for other pollutants
Directive 2008/50/CE | Directive (EU) 2024/2881 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pollutant | AQ standard | Averaging Period | Limit value | Times in a calendar year | Limit value | Times in a calendar year |
CO | Maximum daily 8h mean limit value | Maximum daily 8h mean | 10mg/m3 | 10mg/m3 | ||
Daily limit value (DLV) | 24 hours | 4mg/m3 | 18 days/ year | |||
C6H6 | Annual limit value (ALV) | 1 calendar year | 5μg/m3 | 3.4μg/m3 | ||
SO2 | Hourly limit value (HLV) | 1 hour | 350μg/m3 | 24 hours/year | 350μg/m3 | 3 hours/ year |
Daily limit value (DLV) | 24 hours | 125μg/m3 | 3 days/year | 50μg/m3 | 18 days/ year | |
Annual limit value (ALV) | 20μg/m3 |
- CO
- The maximum daily mean of 8 hours has remained the same, at 10mg/m3. The situation in relation to the 2030 ALV is therefore the same as that presented against the 2008 ALV.
- For the daily limit value, all reporting stations already had lower levels than the 2030 new DLV by 2023.
- C6H6
- 99.6% of reporting stations had concentrations below the 2030 ALV in 2023. Only three stations in the EU-27 had concentrations above the 2030 revised ALV; two industrial stations in Czechia and one traffic station in Greece.
- SO2
- Around 98% of all stations already had levels below all the revised AQ standards for SO2. There are only specific stations with levels above the revised limits in the EU-27.
- Two stations above the revised ALV, one station in Bulgaria and one in Spain.
- Three stations above the revised DLV, two stations in Spain and one in Bulgaria.
- Four stations above the revised HLV, three stations in Bulgaria and one in France.
- For the other reporting countries, all the reporting stations of Albania, Andorra, Iceland, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland, were below the 2030 ALV. All reporting stations in Albania, Andorra, Iceland, North Macedonia, Norway and Switzerland, had levels below the 2030 DLV. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia and Türkiye had at least one station above the revised 2030 HLV.
Conclusions
The above analysis provides an estimate of the distance-to-target of the 2023 air quality levels against the revised air quality standards.
The data indicate that a significant proportion of reporting stations already had concentrations below the 2030 standards, particularly for short-term standards. The highest number of stations with concentrations already below the revised AQ standards are observed for CO, C6H6 and SO2.
As shown in Figure 12, a high percentage of stations had levels below the 2030 LVs in 2023 for PM and NO2. Particularly for NO2, where more than 70% of stations had concentrations below the ALV and 91% below the DLV. PM2.5 showed the lowest number of stations below the 2030 ALV, however, 59% of stations were below the 2030 ALV at that point.
Over 71% of reporting stations were below the O3 TV threshold. Nonetheless, there was a high proportion of stations between 120-150µg/m3 (around 27%).
Compliance with DLVs was generally higher than with ALV, particularly for NO2, where approximately 91% of stations were below this short-term standard.
However, challenges remain to keep concentrations below the ALVs, especially for PM and NO2, where some stations had concentrations significantly above the 2030 standards.
As illustrated in the maps, AQ levels vary across Europe, depending on the pollutant. The revised standards are not required to be met until 2030, by which time air pollution levels may improve in some European regions. Implementing in full existing legislation, including action to meet the revised AQ standards, is key for the expected air pollution reductions of the fourth Clean Air Outlook (EC, 2025).