As EU member states, regional and local authorities prepare to implement the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD), this briefing by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) argues that decision-makers and authorities should pay particular attention to addressing socio-economic inequalities in their clean air efforts. The swift transposition and implementation of the new rules, with strengthened administrative collaboration and the full utilisation of financial support schemes, promise significant progress towards cleaner air across Europe. Improved air quality will be beneficial to everyone and contribute to preventing health inequalities for those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.
The EU Healthy Air Coalition has sent a letter to members of the European Parliament, ahead of the Plenary voting on “Ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe”, procedure file 2022/ 0347 (COD), on 24 April.
The members of the coalition, CPME, ECL, EFA, ELF, EPHA, ERS, HEAL and MLOZ, representing medical doctors, healthcare professionals, patient organisations and health insurers call on MEPs to support th deal reached between European Parliament and Council in the Plenary.
Full letter below and here
Dear Member of the European Parliament,
On Wednesday 24 April the Plenary will be voting on “Ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe”, procedure file 2022/ 0347 (COD). This follows a provisional agreement reached on 20 February by Parliament and Council in trilogue on updating EU’s clean air standards (revised Ambient Air Quality Directive). Faced with a public health emergency from air pollution, this deal brings the EU one step closer to finally tackling it.
We, the undersigned members of the EU Healthy Air Coalition, representing medical doctors, healthcare professionals, patient organisations and health insurers call on you to support this deal in the Plenary. The EU Healthy Air Coalition brings together CPME, ECL, EFA, ELF, EPHA, ERS, HEAL and MLOZ to advocate for strong EU clean air policies to ensure better health for all.
Ahead of the EU elections, we urge you to support the trilogue deal, as a sign of your commitment to cleaning up the air that hundreds of millions of people across Europe breathe.
This trilogue deal is a much-awaited major step forward towards clean air in Europe: in particular, it includes updates on maximum levels for the major air pollutants, strengthened monitoring requirements, better information to people including vulnerable groups.
Air pollution weighs heavily on the health of people in the EU and the economy: 97% of the urban population breathes air which is considered unhealthy, resulting in hundreds of thousands of premature deaths and hundreds of billions of euros in health costs each year. Air pollution affects everyone and those most vulnerable disproportionally, such as those already ill, children, elderly, pregnant women, and those facing health inequalities.
We call on you to adopt the provisional agreement reached in trilogue to swiftly lessen people’s suffering, prevent disease and achieve economic savings.
Anne Stauffer, Deputy Director
Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL)
Dr Christiaan Keijzer, President
Standing Committee of European Doctors (CPME)
Dr Wendy Yared, Director
European Cancer Leagues (ECL)
Susanna Palkonen, Director
European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations (EFA)
Dimitris Kontopidis, Chair
European Lung Foundation (ELF)
Dr Milka Sokolović, Director General
European Public Health Alliance (EPHA)
Dr Barbara Hoffmann, Chair Advocacy Council
European Respiratory Society (ERS)
Xavier Brenez, CEO
Mutualités Libres/Onafhankelijke Ziekenfondsen (MLOZ)
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