Title page 1

Contents 5

ABSTRACT 3

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 7

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 11

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 14

1.1. Introduction 14

1.2. Approach and methodology 16

1.3. Objectives and structure 17

2. CURRENT LEGAL SITUATION 19

2.1. Ambient Air Quality 22

2.1.1. AAQD 2008 23

2.1.2. Case law of the CJEU concerning AAQD 2008 25

2.1.3. New AAQD 27

2.2. NEC Directive 30

2.3. Sectoral legislation 33

3. IMPLEMENTATION OF AIR QUALITY LEGISLATION 35

3.1. EU Pilot dialogue 35

3.2. Infringement procedures 36

3.3. Environmental Implementation Review 37

3.4. 2030 targets based on the 8th Environmental Action Programme 40

4. ROLE OF THE COMMITTEE ON PETITIONS 42

4.1. Case 1: Petition No. 465/2021 on keeping air quality below recognised health thresholds and Petition No. 180/2011 (Italy) 44

4.1.1. Summary of the petition 44

4.1.2. Status of the petition 44

4.1.3. Assessment of the case 44

4.2. Case 2: Petition No. 323/2011 on the alleged infringement of Directive 2008/50/EC of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air... 45

4.2.1. Summary of the petition 45

4.2.2. Status of the petition 45

4.2.3. Assessment of the case 45

4.3. Case 3: Petition No. 123/2011 on air pollution in the Polish town of Proszkow as a result of the burning of household waste 46

4.3.1. Summary of the petition 46

4.3.2. Status of the petition 46

4.3.3. Assessment of the case 46

4.4. Case 4: Petition No. 1484/2008 on the impact of noise and atmospheric pollution on the health of residents in the vicinity of Charles... 47

4.4.1. Summary of the petition 47

4.4.2. Status of the petition 47

4.4.3. Assessment of the case 47

4.5. Case 5: Petition No. 1337/2008 on the Maritza-Iztok power plant and pollution in the area around the Bulgarian town of Stara Zagora,... 47

4.5.1. Summary of the petitions 47

4.5.2. Status of the petitions 48

4.5.3. Assessment of the case 48

4.6. Summary of recent petitions concerning air quality 49

5. BEST PRACTICES AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS 50

5.1. Best practices 50

5.1.1. Energy and heat generation 51

5.1.2. Traffic 52

5.1.3. Agriculture 54

5.1.4. Awareness raising and advisory support 55

5.1.5. Integrated approaches 55

5.2. Policy recommendations 56

5.2.1. AAQD provisions 56

5.2.2. Enforcement and implementation 57

5.2.3. National level 58

REFERENCES 60

Tables 9

Table 1. Current infringement procedures in the EU related to AAQD 2008 37

Table 2. Petitions considered in this study 43

Figures 9

Figure 1. Health impacts of air pollution 15

Figure 2. Share of pollutant emissions from a given source, 2022 16

Figure 3. Clean air policy framework in the EU 21

Figure 4. Comparison of WHO Air Quality Guidelines (AQG) 22

Figure 5. Comparison of air quality standards between EU and WHO 30

Figure 6. Trend - Environmental Cases as a Percentage of New EU Pilot Cases 36

Figure 7. List of Priority Actions, 2025 Environmental Implementation Review 40

Figure 8. Premature deaths due to air pollution 41