Parliament committee votes to weaken EU air quality law

THE GREENS/EFA IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
PRESS RELEASE – Brussels, 21 June 2006

AIR POLLUTION
– Parliament committee votes to weaken EU air quality law

Commenting on the European Parliament Environment Committee vote on the first reading of revised EU air quality legislation, Green MEP and shadow rapporteur for the air quality directive Satu Hassi said:

”The decision by the EP’s Environment Committee today to weaken EU air quality rules is nothing short of a disgrace. Despite unanimous calls from the health scientist community to do the opposite, the committee voted to water down the current limit values set for particulate matter in the air. It is particularly disappointing that the PSE members backtracked on earlier commitments by voting to support the weakening of these limits.”

”Current levels of air pollution cause severe health problems and result in more than 350 000 premature deaths each year in Europe. Against this background, the EU is failing its citizens if it weakens existing legislation, which already falls way behind WHO guidelines, instead of strengthening it.”

”While the compromises adopted today contain some cosmetic improvements, these merely act as a smokescreen for the serious weakening of current standards contained in the same amendments. Today’s vote would almost double the number of days a year on which particulate matter (PM10) limit values can be exceeded and, in addition, allow Member States to postpone compliance with air quality norms by more than 10 years. This flies in the face of recommendations from European health scientists and falls far behind US air quality standards.”

”When they vote at plenary next month, MEPs must reject the committee’s proposals to weaken EU air quality standards, which would put the health of EU citizens further at risk. If the revision turns out to be little more than an exercise of watering down current law, the Commission should withdraw its proposal.”