Data centre overview

Policies to reduce air pollution have led to improved air quality in Europe over the last three decades. However, in some European cities air pollution still poses risks to health. You can use the European city air viewer to check how the air quality was in your city over the past two years and to compare it with air quality in other cities across Europe.

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Industrial releases of air pollutants that are damaging to human health and the environment decreased between 2010 and 2019 in Europe, with emissions of greenhouse gases (e.g. CO 2 and sulphur oxides) and other pollutants (e.g. nitrogen oxides, dust and heavy metals) all declining significantly. The value that industry generated for the European economy during this period increased, however, in line with the goal of the EU industrial strategy: to support the competitiveness of European industry while driving a reduction in emissions, the use of natural resources and the production of waste.

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The table shows the changes in pollutant releases in EU-27 Member States from 2010 to 2019. Croatia reported data from 2014, therefore the comparison is made against 2014 emissions. Due to a lack in reporting, some gap filling has been made for the following countries: Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal with 2017 data, Italy and the Netherlands with 2018 data. Due to questionable quality for some data reported on CO2 and NOx emissions from France in 2019, some data points have been replaced by 2018 comparable values until a correction is provided; NOx emissions from the Netherlands have been replaced by 2017 data due to questionable reporting until a correction is made.

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This figure shows the trends in pollutant releases into air in the EU-27 from 2010 to 2019, using 2010 release values as a reference. In addition, gross value added (GVA) from the industry sector is presented. GVA, gross value added; NMVOC, non-methane volatile organic compound; NOx, nitrogen oxides; PM10, particulate matter with a diameter of less than 10 μm; SOx, sulphur oxides. EU-27 Member States as of 2021. The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) does not contain data for Turkey, which is not covered by the E-PRTR Regulation. GVA is used as a proxy for the economic activity of industry in Europe, accounting for inflation, based on 2010 values.

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Between 2004 and 2019, emissions from large combustion plants in the EU decreased: SO 2 by 89%, nitrogen oxides by 60% and dust by 88%. Declines in emissions and improvements in environmental performance were largely driven by European policy, which sets legally binding emission limit values. The amount of fossil fuels used decreased by 23%, as energy production shifts to climate-friendly sources. Stricter emission limit values and policies aimed at increasing the use of renewable or cleaner fuels are expected to drive further declines in combustion plant emissions in coming years.

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This dataset contains the location and administrative data for the largest industrial complexes in Europe, releases and transfers of regulated substances to all media, waste transfers as well as more detailed data on energy input and emissions for large combustion plants. These data are reported to EEA under Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) 2010/75/EU Commission Implementing Decision 2018/1135 and the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) Regulation (EC) No 166/2006 Commission Implementing Decision 2019/1741. The dataset brings together data formerly reported separately under E-PRTR Regulation Art.7 and under IED Art.72. Additional reporting requirements under the IED are also included.

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This dataset contains the location and administrative data for Large Combustion Plants in the Energy Community participating countries, as well as more detailed data on energy input and emissions to air. These data are reported to EEA under the Energy Community Treaty 2006/500/EC. Warning: This dataset is being reviewed by the EEA to ensure consistency. Reporting countries have only recently started to report and it is expected that data quality will increase as experience in reporting consolidates. Countries will be correcting the reported data and updates will be posted accordingly. The metadata document provides further information on this matter.

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The dots represent measurements stations, where the changes have been estimated using UTD monitoring data and the generalized additive model (GAM). The background shading represents the changes estimated using CAMS chemical transport modelling with an emission inventory estimated for the lockdown conditions.

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The dots represent measurements stations, where the changes have been estimated using UTD monitoring data and the generalized additive model (GAM). The background shading represents the changes estimated using CAMS chemical transport modelling with an emission inventory estimated for the lockdown conditions

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New technology and tools are opening up new possibilities for environmental monitoring and analysis. For example, citizen science, satellite observations, big data and artificial intelligence present opportunities for improving the timeliness, comparability, granularity and integration of data.

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New technology and tools are opening up new possibilities for environmental monitoring and analysis. For example, citizen science, satellite observations, big data and artificial intelligence present opportunities for improving the timeliness, comparability, granularity and integration of data.

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Pollution changes a medium such as air, water or soil in a way that can make it harmful to people or nature. Different types of pollutants include chemicals, dust, noise and radiation. EEA Signals 2020 looks at pollution through different lenses related to the Agency’s work and EU legislation.

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Industrial releases of air pollutants that are damaging to human health and the environment decreased between 2010 and 2019 in Europe, with emissions of greenhouse gases (e.g. CO 2 and sulphur oxides) and other pollutants (e.g. nitrogen oxides, dust and heavy metals) all declining significantly. The value that industry generated for the European economy during this period increased, however, in line with the goal of the EU industrial strategy: to support the competitiveness of European industry while driving a reduction in emissions, the use of natural resources and the production of waste.

Read more

Between 2004 and 2019, emissions from large combustion plants in the EU decreased: SO 2 by 89%, nitrogen oxides by 60% and dust by 88%. Declines in emissions and improvements in environmental performance were largely driven by European policy, which sets legally binding emission limit values. The amount of fossil fuels used decreased by 23%, as energy production shifts to climate-friendly sources. Stricter emission limit values and policies aimed at increasing the use of renewable or cleaner fuels are expected to drive further declines in combustion plant emissions in coming years.

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Ground-level ozone adversely affects not only human health but also vegetation and ecosystems across Europe, leading to decreased crop yields and forest growth, and loss of biodiversity. Much of Europe’s lands are exposed to ozone levels above the threshold and long-term objective values set in the EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) for the protection of vegetation. For instance, after a 6-year period (2009-2014) of relatively low ozone values, the fraction of arable land exposed to levels above the AAQD threshold increased to 30 % in 2015, falling to 19 % in 2016, before increasing again to 26 % in 2017 and 45 % in 2018.  

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Policies to reduce air pollution have led to improved air quality in Europe over the last three decades. However, in some European cities air pollution still poses risks to health. You can use the European city air viewer to check how the air quality was in your city over the past two years and to compare it with air quality in other cities across Europe.

Read more

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Air pollution country fact sheet 2020

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The dots represent measurements stations, where the changes have been estimated using UTD monitoring data and the generalized additive model (GAM). The background shading represents the changes estimated using CAMS chemical transport modelling with an emission inventory estimated for the lockdown conditions.

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The dots represent measurements stations, where the changes have been estimated using UTD monitoring data and the generalized additive model (GAM). The background shading represents the changes estimated using CAMS chemical transport modelling with an emission inventory estimated for the lockdown conditions

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The map shows the average percentage change in NO2 pollution levels from NO2 TROPOMI satellite observations during the period 15th March to 30th April, comparing the observations under the COVID-19 lockdown to the business-as-usual scenario, in European agglomerations with more than half a million inhabitants. The gradient boosting regressor machine learning technique was used to simulate a business as usual (BAU) NO2 tropospheric columns satellite observations.

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This figure shows the trends in pollutant releases into air in the EU-27 from 2010 to 2019, using 2010 release values as a reference. In addition, gross value added (GVA) from the industry sector is presented. GVA, gross value added; NMVOC, non-methane volatile organic compound; NOx, nitrogen oxides; PM10, particulate matter with a diameter of less than 10 μm; SOx, sulphur oxides. EU-27 Member States as of 2021. The European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR) does not contain data for Turkey, which is not covered by the E-PRTR Regulation. GVA is used as a proxy for the economic activity of industry in Europe, accounting for inflation, based on 2010 values.

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The table shows the changes in pollutant releases in EU-27 Member States from 2010 to 2019. Croatia reported data from 2014, therefore the comparison is made against 2014 emissions. Due to a lack in reporting, some gap filling has been made for the following countries: Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal with 2017 data, Italy and the Netherlands with 2018 data. Due to questionable quality for some data reported on CO2 and NOx emissions from France in 2019, some data points have been replaced by 2018 comparable values until a correction is provided; NOx emissions from the Netherlands have been replaced by 2017 data due to questionable reporting until a correction is made.

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Reduction of emissions from large combustion plants since 2004, the first year with reported data, across the three reportable pollutants under the Directive on Large Combustion Plants and its successor, the Directive on industrial emissions. Data are for large combustion plants covered by the Large Combustion Plants Directive (until 2015) and the Industrial Emissions Directive (as from 2016). Data from Croatia are only available as of 2009, while its influence in the overall EU-27 numbers is negligible. Data as of 2016 include a small number of additional plants, due to changes in the scope of reporting, so emissions are not fully comparable before and after 2016. Data were processed to remove outliers and gap-fill missing data.

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