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Parliamentary question - E-000277/2015Parliamentary question
E-000277/2015

Air pollution in Europe

Question for written answer E-000277-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Pablo Echenique (GUE/NGL)

According to the EEA’s last report of 2014, tropospheric ozone leads to some 1 700 premature deaths in Spain every year. The report states that Spain, which has the highest levels of tropospheric ozone pollution in the EU, is not even on track to meet its targets and its gas emissions do not indicate that it will achieve them through domestic policies and measures. The European Commission itself has calculated that 58 000 lives could be saved between now and 2030 as a result of ‘clean air’ policies.

I was however surprised to learn that the proposal for a directive on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants and amending Directive 2003/35/EC (COM(2013)0920) has recently been withdrawn from the Commission’s 2015 legislative review schedule.

What specific criteria or data have led to this withdrawal?

By what methods does the EU intend to issue effective warnings and penalties to those countries where people are being exposed to unacceptable pollution levels?