February 10, 2009
New Directive
2008/50/EC
on ambient air quality
and cleaner air for Europe
Aiga Kāla, Valts Vilnītis
SIA Estonian, Latvian & Lithuanian
Environment
Emissions
Concentrations
CAFE
Directive
Framework
Directive
Stationary
sources
National
emission
ceilings
1st Daughter
LCPs
2st Daughter
Incineration
Mobile
Sources
Nonroad
Fuels
quality
3st Daughter
VOC’s
4st Daughter
Exchange
Information
IPPC
Road
EU Air Quality Management
CAFÉ Directive
• Commission Proposal in September 2005
• European Parliament 1st reading September
2006
• Adoption 21 May 2008
• Entry into force: 11 June 2008
EU Air Quality Management
CAFÉ Directive
• Health based limit values for concentrations of
main pollutants.
• These to be applied universally: to Integrated
Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC),
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and for
specific requirements of Air Quality Management
Framework.
• Requires identification of agglomerations/zones
for detailed assessment. Population over 250,000,
densely populated or industrial zone
EU Air Quality Management
CAFÉ Directive - II
• Specifies number of ambient air quality monitors
required for zone/agglomeration of given size.
• Member states must list all places where pollutants
exceed limit values (plus margin of tolerance)
• Improvement ‘action’ plans and programmes
required for zones of exceedence – development
of these requires air quality modelling.
• Exceedence of short term thresholds (NOx, SO2)
requires immediate action – air quality
forecasting
• Public information
Concentration in the
agglomeration or zone
Attainment scheme
Above margine of tolerance: annual
report and plans or programmes to
improve air quality sent to EC
Between limit value and
margin of tolerance: annual
report to EC
Limit value
Below limit value:
annual report to EC, Good air quality maintained
Time
Directive comes
into force
Attainment date
New Directive key elements
• Existing legislation merged into a
single directive (except for the fourth
daughter directive)
• No change to existing air quality
objectives
• New air quality objectives for PM2.5
(fine particles)
• Possibility for time extensions for
complying with limit values
• The possibility to discount natural
sources of pollution
Air quality objectives for PM2.5
5 objectives for PM2.5
• Target and limit value
– 25 μg/m3 annual average to apply everywhere .
– Target value in 2010, limit value in 2015
– Indicative limit value of 20 μg/m3 in 2020, to be confirmed
at review
• Exposure (based on national average exposure
indicator)
– Exposure concentration obligation 20 μg/m3 in 2015
– Exposure reduction target to reduce national average
measured urban background concentration 0-20% between
2010 and 2020 subject to later review where differentiated
MS legal objectives to be proposed
Compliance problems
(Article 22)
• Attainment date can be postponed for
particular pollutants:
– NO2, benzene - maximum postponement up to
2015
– PM10 – until June 2011
• Conditions – air quality plan which
obligatory has to at least consider a list of
measures (Annex to the Directive)
• LV in force, but at LV+MoT level
Compliance problems
(Article 22) – II
• PM10
– Attainment date already passed
– All appropriate measures taken to reach
compliance in 2005
– External reasons prevented compliance
(transboundary, climatic conditions, dispersion
– Compliance demonstrated by new deadline
• NO2, benzene
– Attainment date not yet arrived
– 2010 can not be reached (measures taken)
– Compliance demonstrated by new deadline
Addressing man-made pollution
• Existing provision to deduct natural events
generalized to natural contributions
– Natural sources: volcanic eruptions, seismic
activities, geothermal activities, wild-land fires,
highwind events, sea sprays or the atmospheric
re-suspension or transport of natural particles
from dry regions
– Deduction needs to be well justified
– Further source apportionment mostly required to
be able to use this provision
• Guidance in development
Addressing man-made pollution
II
• Contribution from re-suspension
• Exceedances of PM10 attributable to wintersanding or -salting of roads
• Deduction needs to be well justified
• Reasonable measures taken, air quality
plans
• Guidance in development
Where limit values apply?
• Specific list of locations where
compliance with limit values related
to health is not to be assessed:
– On the motorway
– Where no access and no permanent
habitation
Limit values apply everywhere!
Protection of vegetation and
biodiversity
• Critical levels (SO2 and NOX) –
Annex XIII
• “Level” – shall mean the
concentration of a pollutant in
ambient air or the deposition thereof
on surface in a given time
• Critical loads important for the
assessment under the Habitats
directive