A new evaluation of the EU’s National Emission Reduction Commitments (NEC) Directive shows that the clean air policies are delivering significant results, but several Member States remain off track to meet their 2030 targets.
The assessment, released ahead of the EU Clean Air Forum in Bonn, confirms that emissions of the five main air pollutants have continued to fall across the EU, even as the economy has grown. Since 2005, sulphur dioxide emissions have dropped by 85%, while ammonia (largely from agriculture) has seen only a modest 17% decline.
By 2023, EU countries had met more than 90% of their reduction commitments, with 19 Member States complying with all pollutant targets. According to the Commission, clean air policies have generated at least €372 billion in benefits since 2016 – four times higher than the cost of pollution-reduction measures.
“The EU’s policy to reduce air pollution is delivering solid results,” said Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall. “Air quality has improved steadily over the past decades, and the EU is on track to cut the health impacts of air pollution by more than 55% by 2030 compared to 2005.”
Yet major challenges persist. Eight countries remain non-compliant with one or more commitments for 2020, and several are likely to struggle with their 2030 targets. The European Environment Agency also reports that 95% of urban residents are still exposed to air pollution levels above WHO guidelines. In 2023, PM2.5 exposure caused an estimated 182,000 premature deaths – a 57 per cent drop from 2005 but still far too high, according to health experts.
EC, Press release 12 December 2025: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/evaluation-shows-eu-clean-air-policy-works-further-efforts-needed-2025-12-01_en
