In its communication No COM(2015) 0598 entitled ‘An Aviation Strategy for Europe’, the Commission stated that: ‘Around airports, and in addition to noise, citizens face poor air quality, with the main public health impact coming from ultrafine particles.’ There is currently no legal basis for regulating ultrafine particles (particles smaller than PM2.5). In the context of the fitness check of Directive 2008/50/EC on Ambient Air Quality (the AAQD), some participants in the public consultation stated that they consider ultrafine particles to be one of the issues which should be taken into account when the directive is revised.

1. What is the Commission’s assessment of the health risk posed by ultrafine particles, particularly in the vicinity of airports?

2. Does the Commission think that measurement techniques, currently or in the near future, are sufficiently accurate to permit the regulation of ultrafine particles?

3. Is the Commission considering regulating ultrafine particles in the context of the AAQD or in any other context?