National Emission Ceilings
Air pollution travels over long distances and over
national boundaries. In order to limit air pollution responsible
for acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone pollution
the European Community has policies in place limiting individual
sources but also national totals of atmospheric emissions of four
pollutants.
Community legislation
 Directive
2001/81/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on National
Emission Ceilings for certain pollutants (NEC Directive) sets upper
limits for each Member State for the total emissions in 2010 of
the four pollutants responsible for acidification, eutrophication
and ground-level ozone pollution (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides,
volatile organic compounds and ammonia), but leaves it largely to
the Member States to decide which measures – on top of Community
legislation for specific source categories - to take in order to
comply.
The NEC Directive has been amended as part of the
accession of new Member States. A consolidated
NEC Directive for the EU 27 includes the entire Community as
of 1 January 2007.
Convention
on Longrange Transboundary Air Pollution
Parallel to the development of the EU NEC Directive,
the EU Member States together with Central and Eastern European
countries, the United States and Canada have negotiated the "multi-pollutant"
protocol under the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution
(the so-called Gothenburg
protocol, agreed in November 1999). The emission ceilings in
the protocol are equal or less ambitious than those in the NEC Directive.
An important element of the review of the Gothenburg
protocol (due for 2007) is the better understanding of the role
of transport of air pollution on the hemispheric
scale. The task force on hemispheric air pollution is co-chaired
by a representative of DG ENV, thus respecting the obligation of
the NECD to pursue multilateral co-operation with third countries
and international organizations.
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