In April 2022, European Environment Agency published its latest report on the air quality of Europe for the year 2020, with provisional results for the year 2021.

According to the results, in 2020, concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) temporarily fell as a direct result of reductions in road transport during COVID-19 lockdowns, with reductions in NO2 annual mean concentrations of up to 25% seen in major cities such as in France, Italy and Spain.

However, despite these reductions and ongoing overall improvements in air quality, air pollution is still a major health concern for Europeans. Central-eastern Europe and Italy reported the highest concentrations of particulate matter and benzo[a]pyrene (a carcinogen), due primarily to the burning of solid fuels for domestic heating and their use in industry. In addition, ozone levels were lower than in previous years, but still high in central Europe and some Mediterranean countries. Overall, in the European Union, 96% of the urban population was exposed to levels of fine particulate matter above the latest health-based guideline set by the World Health Organization.

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