According to the EU Commission, the annual limit value for particulate matter is to be reduced by more than half by 2030. The EU Commission announced that pollution from fine dust with a particle size of up to 2.5 micrometers is to be reduced from 25 to 10 micrograms per cubic meter.
With the proposals, the specifications at EU level are approaching the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), but do not fully implement them. Since last year, the WHO has only recommended five micrograms, i.e. one fifth of the currently permitted value.
“Each year hundreds of thousands of Europeans die prematurely, and many more suffer from heart and lung diseases or cancers caused by pollution. The longer we wait to reduce this pollution, the greater the cost to society,” said European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans.
The Commission’s proposal does not contain any specific measures, but sets air quality standards that must be implemented everywhere. How the limit values are reached is a matter for the EU countries. Critics fear that this could lead to driving bans in Germany. The proposal still has to be approved by the EU Parliament and Council.
Groundwater and waste water should also be better protected. The EU Commission wants to add 24 substances to the list of water pollutants, including certain antibiotics and pesticides such as glyphosate.
