Persistent problems in meeting NOx limits

NIne countries breached their NOx ceiling and two their NH₃ ceiling. Photo: © Yanik Chauvin - Fotolia.com

Eleven EU countries breached at least one of their air pollutant emission ceilings in 2012, preliminary data from the European Environment Agency shows.

The National Emission Ceilings (NEC) directive sets legally binding national limits for maximum allowed emissions for four air pollutants, namely sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH₃) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), that were to be achieved by 2010 and not to be exceeded in the years to follow.

An early analysis of the officially reported emissions data for 2012 shows that eleven countries breached at least one NEC, compared to ten countries in 2011 and eleven in 2010. The most commonly breached ceiling was that for NOx, with nine member states exceeding their limits. Road transport contributes around 40 per cent of total NOx emissions in the EU and is one of the main factors behind the large number of NOx exceedances. Reductions from this sector – and especially from diesel-driven cars –have not been as large as originally anticipated.

Denmark and Finland exceeded their ceilings for NH₃, while only Luxembourg breached the ceiling for NMVOCs. For the third year in a row, all member states met their SO₂ limits.

Several countries have persistent problems meeting their national emission limits – for example, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg and Spain breached their NOx ceilings in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Denmark and Finland have exceeded their NH₃ ceilings for all three years. Despite multiple breaches of these ceilings, emissions of all four pollutants have decreased in the EU overall between 2011 and 2012.

A detailed assessment of the data delivered by the member states will be published by the EEA in June.

In December 2013 the European Commission presented a new Clean Air Policy Package, including a proposal to revise the NEC directive, with new 2020 and 2030 national emission reduction commitments for the four currently covered pollutants, as well as new ceilings for two additional pollutants – fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) and methane (CH₄).

Christer Ågren

Source: EEA, 24 March 2014

Figure: Chart above/below ceiling — Progress by EU Member States in meeting their national emission ceilings for nitrogen oxides (NOx) set in the EU NEC Directive.

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Main menu

Persistent problems in meeting NOx limits

In this issue

150 ways to cut GHG emissions

Editorial: 1.5°C target can be reached

Profitable to cut air pollution

IMO weakens NOx rules for ships

A changing climate creates pervasive risks

Persistent problems in meeting NOx limits

Hidden costs make coal expensive

Diet shifts could reduce nitrogen pollution

Rise in agricultural emissions

SCR can cut ship NOx emissions

Air pollution the world’s largest environmental health risk

Urban air quality getting worse

Harmful ozone levels over Europe

Diesel cars not as green as perceived

Europe’s biggest polluters

Publications

Food for Thought

Northern forests, climate change and the UNFCCC

EU climate targets aligned with the Paris agreement’s 1.5°C objective

Baltic Sea Offshore Wind Collaborative-Learning project

Air pollution in Europe and children’s health

Climate Change: A Himalayan Odessey

No further discussion needed. The agreed global goal is to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C

Fossil-free electricity 2021

What we do

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Climate Change

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