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Member States recently reported the first information under the new EU National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive (2016/2284/EU). The EEA briefing ‘NEC Directive reporting status 2017’, gives a progress update on how Member States are meeting their emission ceilings under the NEC Directive. The briefing also provides an assessment of the projected emissions reported for 2020 and 2030 in relation to the Member States’ reduction commitments for those years set in the new NEC Directive.
The new NEC Directive restricts emissions for five key air pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), sulphur dioxide (SO2) ammonia (NH3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). These pollutants contribute to poor air quality, which remains the single largest environmental health risk in Europe, causing respiratory and heart problems and shortening lifespans. They also can harm vegetation and sensitive ecosystems.
Further details, including country- and pollutant-specific information, are available in the briefing.
The new NEC Directive establishes a process that allows Member States to ‘adjust’ the reported emissions in their inventories downwards for compliance checking with the emission ceilings if certain conditions are met. Nine Member States have requested their data be ‘adjusted’ in this manner; the European Commission is presently reviewing the applications. The numbers of exceeded ceilings described in the EEA’s briefing will be lower if these applications are approved later in 2017.
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/air-pollution-in-europe-countries or scan the QR code.
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