{"id":121408,"date":"2022-10-28T03:00:26","date_gmt":"2022-10-28T01:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/?p=121408"},"modified":"2022-10-27T10:09:08","modified_gmt":"2022-10-27T08:09:08","slug":"european-green-deal-commission-proposes-rules-for-cleaner-air-and-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/en\/european-green-deal-commission-proposes-rules-for-cleaner-air-and-water\/","title":{"rendered":"European Green Deal: Commission proposes rules for cleaner air and water"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Commission is proposing stronger rules on ambient air, surface and groundwater pollutants<\/strong>, and\u00a0treatment of urban wastewater<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"molinos<\/a><\/p>\n

Clean air and water are essential for the health of people and ecosystems. Air pollution alone means nearly 300,000 Europeans die prematurely each year, and the proposed new rules will\u00a0<\/strong>reduce deaths resulting from levels of the main pollutant PM2.5<\/sub>\u00a0above World Health Organization guidelines by more than 75% in ten years. Across air and water, all of the\u00a0new rules<\/strong>\u00a0provide clear\u00a0return on investment<\/strong> thanks to benefits in health, energy savings, food production, industry, and biodiversity. Learning the lessons from current laws, the Commission proposes to both tighten allowed levels of pollutants and to improve implementation to ensure pollution reduction goals are more often reached in practice. The proposals are a key advance for the European Green Deal<\/a>‘s zero pollution ambition of having an environment free of harmful pollution by 2050. They also respond to specific demands of the Conference on the Future of Europe.<\/p>\n

Cleaner ambient air by 2030, zero pollution aim by 2050<\/strong><\/p>\n

The proposed revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directives will set\u00a0interim 2030 EU air quality standards,<\/strong>\u00a0aligned more closely with\u00a0World Health Organization guidelines<\/a>, while putting the EU on a trajectory to achieve\u00a0zero pollution for air at the latest by 2050,<\/strong>\u00a0in synergy with climate-neutrality efforts. To this end, we propose a regular review of the air quality standards to reassess them in line with latest scientific evidence as well as societal and technological developments. The annual limit value for the main pollutant – fine particulate matter (PM2.5<\/sub>) – is proposed to be cut by more than half.<\/p>\n

The revision will ensure that people suffering health damages from air pollution\u00a0<\/strong>have the\u00a0right to be compensated<\/strong>\u00a0in the case of a violation of EU air quality rules. They will also have the right to be represented by non-governmental organisation through\u00a0collective actions for\u00a0<\/strong>damage compensation.\u00a0<\/strong>The proposal will also bring more clarity on\u00a0access to justice, effective penalties,\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0better public information\u00a0<\/strong>on air quality. New legislation will support local authorities by strengthening the provisions on air quality\u00a0monitoring<\/strong>,\u00a0modelling<\/strong>, and improved\u00a0air quality plans<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Proposals leave it to national and local authorities to determine the specific measures they would take to meet the standards. At the same time, existing and new EU policies in environment, energy, transport, agriculture, R&I and other fields will make a significant contribution, as detailed in the factsheet<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Proposal will help achieve dramatic improvement in air quality around Europe by 2030, leading to gross annual benefits estimated at \u20ac42 billion up to \u20ac121 billion in 2030, for less than a \u20ac6 billion costs annually.<\/p>\n

Air pollution is the greatest environmental threat to health and a leading cause of chronic diseases, including stroke, cancer and diabetes. It is unavoidable for all Europeans and disproportionately affects sensitive and vulnerable social groups. Polluted air also harms the environment causing acidification, eutrophication and damage to forests, ecosystems and crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Eurobarometer: Europeans seriously worried about air quality and call for stronger action
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Better and more cost-effective treatment of urban wastewater<\/strong><\/p>\n

The revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive will help Europeans benefit from\u00a0cleaner<\/strong>\u00a0rivers, lakes, groundwaters and seas, while making wastewater treatment more\u00a0cost-effective<\/strong>. To make the best possible use of wastewater as a resource, it is proposed to aim for\u00a0energy-neutrality<\/strong>\u00a0of the sector by 2040, and improve the quality of sludge to allow for more reuse contributing thus to a more circular economy.<\/p>\n

Several improvements will support health and environmental protection. These include obligations to recover\u00a0nutrients from wastewater<\/strong>, new standards for\u00a0micropollutants<\/strong>\u00a0and new monitoring requirements for\u00a0microplastics<\/strong>. Obligations to treat water will be extended to\u00a0smaller municipalities<\/strong>\u00a0with 1,000 inhabitants (from 2,000 inhabitants currently). To help manage\u00a0heavy rains<\/strong>, made more frequent by climate change, there is a requirement to establish integrated water management plans in larger cities. Finally, building upon the Covid-19 experience, the Commission proposes to systematically\u00a0monitor wastewater<\/strong>\u00a0for several viruses, amongst which\u00a0CoV-SARS-19, and anti-microbial resistance<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

EU countries will be required to\u00a0ensure access to sanitation<\/strong>\u00a0for all, in particular vulnerable and marginalised groups.<\/p>\n

As 92% toxic micro-pollutants found in EU wastewaters come from pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, a new\u00a0Extended Producer Responsibility<\/strong>\u00a0scheme will require producers to pay for the cost of removing them. This is in line with the \u2018polluter pays’ principle and it will also incentivise research and innovation into toxic-free products, as well as making financing of wastewater treatment fairer.<\/p>\n

The wastewater sector has significant untapped\u00a0renewable energy production potential<\/strong>, for example from biogas. \u00a0EU countries will be required to track industrial pollution at source\u00a0to increase the possibilities of\u00a0re-using sludge and treated wastewater<\/strong>, avoiding the loss of\u00a0resources<\/strong>. Rules on recovering phosphorus from sludge will support their use to make\u00a0fertiliser<\/strong>, benefiting food production.<\/p>\n

The changes are estimated to increase costs by 3.8% (to \u20ac3.8 billion a year in 2040) for a benefit of over \u20ac6.6 billion a year, with a positive cost-benefit ratio in each Member State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Commission refers Spain to the Court of Justice of the EU for failure to comply with waste water directive
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Protection of surface and groundwater against new pollutants<\/strong><\/p>\n

Based on up-to-date scientific evidence, the Commission is proposing to\u00a0update lists of water pollutants\u00a0<\/strong>to be more strictly controlled in surface waters and groundwater.<\/p>\n

25 substances with well-documented problematic effects on nature and human health will be added to the lists. These include:<\/p>\n