Navigation path

High level navigation

Page navigation

Additional tools

  • Print version
  • Decrease text
  • Increase text

Legislation

Ambient Air Quality

  • Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe including the following elements:

    • The merging of most of existing legislation into a single directive (except for the Fourth Daughter Directive) with no change to existing air quality objectives.

    • New air quality objectives for PM2.5 (fine particles) including the limit value and exposure related objectives – exposure concentration obligation and exposure reduction target.

    • The possibility to discount natural sources of pollution when assessing compliance against limit values.

    • The possibility for time extensions of three years (PM10) or up to five years (NO2, benzene) for complying with limit values, based on conditions and the assessment by the European Commission.

  • Council Directive 96/62/EC on ambient air quality assessment and management (Air Quality Framework Directive).

  • Council Directive 1999/30/EC relating to limit values for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter and lead in ambient air (First Daughter Directive).

  • Directive 2000/69/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to limit values for benzene and carbon monoxide in ambient air (Second Daughter Directive).

  • Directive 2002/3/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to ozone in ambient air (Third Daughter Directive).

  • Directive 2004/107/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air (Fourth Daughter Directive).

  • Council Decision 97/101/EC establishing a reciprocal exchange of information and data from networks and individual stations measuring ambient air pollution within the Member States (EoI Decision).

  • Commission Decision 2004/461/EC laying down a questionnaire for annual reporting on ambient air quality assessment under Council Directives 96/62/EC and 1999/30/EC and under Directives 2000/69/EC and 2002/3/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council.

  • Commission Decision 2004/224/EC laying down the obligation of Member States to submit within two years so-called Plans and Programmes for those air quality zones where certain assessment thresholds set in the Directives are exceeded.

  • Council Directive 80/779/EEC of 15 July 1980 on air quality limit values and guide values for sulphur dioxide and suspended particulates, as last amended by Directive 89/427/EEC

  • Council Directive 85/203/EEC of 7 March 1985 on air quality standards for nitrogen dioxide, as last amended by Council Directive 85/580/EEC

Stationary Source Emissions

Integrated Pollution Prevention and control

Large Combustion Plants

  • Directive 2001/80/EC on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from Large Combustion Plants

  • Council Directive 94/66/EC amending Directive 88/609/EEC on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large combustion plants

Waste Incineration Plants

  • Directive 2000/76/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4th December 2000 on the incineration of waste.

VOCs

  • Directive 94/63/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the control of VOC emissions resulting from the storage of petrol and its distribution from terminals to service stations.
  • Council Directive 1999/13/EC on the limitation of emissions of volatile organic compounds due to the use of organic solvents in certain activities and installations.

Sulphur content of liquid fuels

National Emission Ceilings

Establishment of national emission ceilings for acidification and eutrophication

Transport and Environment

Road vehicles

Automotive fuel quality

  • Proposal to amend Directive 98/70

  • Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Council Directive 93/12/EEC.

  • Commission Directive 2000/71/EC of 7 November 2000 to adapt the measuring methods as laid down in Annexes I, II, III and IV of Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council to technical progress as foreseen in Article 10 of that Directive.

  • Directive 2003/17/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 March 2003 amending Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels (Text with EEA relevance)

Pollutant emissions from ships

| Top