NEC

In 2020, less than half of member states met all their national emission reduction commitments. Only two of them are already in line with their 2030 commitments. 

While most EU member states met their binding national emission limits in 2019, significant further action is needed to achieve the reduction commitments set for the period 2020–29 and for 2030 onwards.

In 2017, the national emission ceilings for ammonia were still violated by five member states and total emissions have now increased by more than three per cent over the last four years, preliminary data from the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows.

National governments were supposed to detail how they plan to reduce emissions of harmful air pollution in “National Air Pollution Control Programmes” (NAPCP), which should have been sent to the European Commission by 1 April.

Eleven governments have asked the European Commission to retrospectively raise their “emission ceilings” after breaching their national air pollution limits in 2016, namely: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland ...

A plan adopted in early May by the outgoing French environment minister, Ségolène Royal, sets new legal limits on air pollutant emissions up to 2030, in line with the emission reduction commitments under the EU’s National Emission Ceilings (NEC) directive.

When fully implemented in 2030, the directive will nearly halve the negative health impacts of air pollution, such as respiratory diseases and premature death.

National emission reduction commitments for 2030 should ensure achievement of the World Health Organization’s recommended air quality levels.