Health and Environment Alliance | Press Releases: Air Quality

Press release: Health groups welcome the confirmation of revised EU air quality law: milestone for public health

14th October 2024

The EU Environment Ministers confirmed the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive. The revised legislation updates limits for key air pollutants in the EU to align more closely with the latest World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, and to reflect the serious health impacts of air pollution.

Wichtige Entscheidung im EU-Parlament für saubere Luft und Gesundheit

25th April 2024

Das Europäische Parlament hat heute mit großer Mehrheit (381 Stimmen) die vorläufige Trilog-Vereinbarung zur Überarbeitung der EU-Luftqualitätsrichtlinie angenommen. Damit ist eine wesentliche Hürde genommen, um die veralteten EU-Luftqualitätsstandards aus dem Jahr 2008…

Press note: The EU Healthy Air Coalition welcomes European Parliament vote for cleaner air and better health

24th April 2024

The European Parliament adopted today by a large majority the provisional trilogue agreement on the revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directives (AAQD), to update the EU’s clean air standards dating from 2008.

Press release: Clean air in cities for better health

23rd April 2024

Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to everyone's health across the EU, and one of the leading risk factors for chronic diseases. Today, pathways to reach clean air in cities by 2030 will be discussed by more than 340 participants from 33 countries at an international conference taking place in Brussels.

EU geht wichtigen Schritt, um Menschen europaweit vor Luftverschmutzung zu schützen

21st February 2024

Berlin / Brüssel, 21. Februar 2024 Gesundheitsexpert:innen begrüßen die gestern im Trilog erzielte Einigung zur Aktualisierung der EU-Luftqualitätsrichtlinie (Ambient Air Quality Directive). Sie appellieren an die deutschen Europaabgeordneten und die Bundesregierung, diese…

Press release: Faced with a public health emergency from air pollution, the EU is one step closer to finally tackling it

21st February 2024

Health groups across Europe call for the European Parliament and member states to swiftly adopt the agreement reached in trilogue on updating EU’s clean air standards (revised Ambient Air Quality Directive). The deal includes updates on maximum levels for the major air pollutants, strengthened monitoring requirements, better information to people including vulnerable groups. The draft law also introduces new access to justice and compensation rules.

Press note: Health groups from across the EU call for ambitious air quality law

19th February 2024

As the Ambient Air Quality Directive revision negotiations are ramping up ahead of the final trilogue on 20 February 2024 health experts from across the EU, including from Germany, Poland, Italy, France and Spain, warn decision makers about the potential impacts of exemptions and delays.

Press note: Health groups warn of delays and inequalities in updating EU clean air standards

7th February 2024

The Ambient Air Quality Directive revision negotiations must urgently be concluded ahead of the EU elections this June. As trilogue negotiations continue, the Council has included the potential for decade-long exemptions from adhering to the legally binding air pollution limit values, based on countries’ GDP compared to EU average.

Scientists show delay to air quality rules could cost an extra 327,600 lives

1st February 2024

A group of health scientists has today published a scientific commentary which shows the significant consequences that postponing deadlines to achieve new EU air quality objectives would have for Europeans’ health.

Advancing on clean air everywhere, for everyone, as negotiations on EU clean air law (AAQD) can start

9th November 2023

Health groups welcome today’s adoption of the Council negotiating mandate for the Ambient Air Quality Directive revision under the Spanish EU Presidency, as the right next step, as it means trilogue negotiations on clean air for health can start and be concluded before the 2024 EU elections.

Presseinformation: 8. November 2023 – EU Mitgliedstaaten vor wichtiger Entscheidung zu Luftqualität und Gesundheitsschutz

7th November 2023

Die Abstimmung über die Verhandlungsposition der EU-Mitgliedsstaaten ist für diese Woche Mittwoch im Ausschuss der Ständigen Vertreter (COREPER) vorgesehen. Erst wenn die EU-Mitgliedsstaten ihre Verhandlungsposition festgelegt haben, können die sogenannten Trilogverhandlungen zwischen Mitgliedstaaten, Europaparlament und EU-Kommission beginnen und der Zeitplan für die Novellierung gehalten werden, damit die Revision der Richtlinie bis vor den Europawahlen abgeschlossen ist.

Health organisations urge EU member states to adopt their clean air negotiating position

6th November 2023

In view of ongoing deliberations on the revision of the EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD), health organisations representing the European health sector, including medical doctors, healthcare professionals, patient organisations and health insurance funds, urge member states to act on the unacceptably high health burden from air pollution and to adopt a negotiating position this week, so that the AAQD trilogues can start, and the revision process can be concluded before the 2024 EU elections

Press note: Air quality: HEAL comment on today’s EP plenary vote

13th September 2023

Today, the European Parliament plenary voted on the revision of the EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) (2022/0347(COD)). The report by rapporteur Javi Lopez was voted on with 363 in favour, 226 against, and 46 abstentions.

Press note: Will members of the European Parliament vote for better health on 13 September?

8th September 2023

Next Wednesday, 13 September 2023, the European Parliament will vote on the revision of the EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) (2022/0347(COD)), a key law for the protection of people’s…

Air quality: HEAL comment on today’s EP ENVI committee vote

27th June 2023

Anne Stauffer, Deputy Director of the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) comments: “The ENVI committee has taken a major step towards cleaner air for everyone today: health groups are delighted that MEPs followed the science, and people’s needs by supporting an ambitious overhaul of the EU’s clean air standards. More...

Press note: Three points to look out for in this week’s EP ENVI air quality debate

20th March 2023

Health groups asked members of the EP ENVI committee to step up on clean air for health with science-based air quality standards.

Gesundheitsverbände fordern stärkere Anstrengungen zur Verbesserung der Luftqualität

23rd February 2023

Die Bundesärztekammer und die Gesundheitsverbände Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) und Deutsche Allianz Klimawandel und Gesundheit (KLUG) fordern dringende Maβnahmen, um die unterschätzte Krankheitslast durch Luftverschmutzung und insbesondere Feinstaub zu senken. Bei der aktuellen Überarbeitung der Luftqualitätsgrenzwerte auf EU-Ebene sollte sich die Bundesregierung für die vollständige Angleichung der Grenzwerte mit Empfehlungen der Weltgesundheitsorganisation bis 2030 einsetzen, damit Deutschland und die EU Vorreiter beim Gesundheitsschutz werden.

Luftqualität: Gesundheit durch neue Standards schützen

28th October 2022

Luftqualität: Gesundheit durch neue Standards schützen Hohe Risiken für akute und chronische Krankheiten durch Feinstaub und Stickstoffdioxid Hannover/Brüssel, 28.10.2022. Die Gefahr ist unsichtbar: Luftverschmutzung ist ein großer umweltbedingter Risikofaktor für die…

Air pollution law revision can be a game changer for zero-pollution ambition

27th October 2022

Today, the European Commission released the proposed update to the Ambient Air Quality Directives (AAQD), the first one since 2008. As part of the Zero Pollution Package, this proposal has…

Reactions from the health community on the European Commission’s proposal on updating the Ambient Air Quality Directive

26th October 2022

The European Commission’s proposal on the revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directive fails to address the urgency to act, to swiftly reduce the health burden. Reactions from the health community:

Press Releases: Air Quality