Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

AddedArticle 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3 – point a: (a) latest scientific information from relevant Union bodies, WHO and other relevant scientific organisations,

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 1 a (new): (1a) ‘air quality standards’ means limit values, average exposure reduction obligations, average exposure concentration objectives, critical levels, information thresholds and alert thresholds;

AddedArticle 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3 – point b: (b) behavioural changes, fiscal policies and technological developments impacting air quality and its assessment,

RemovedDefinition provided in Article 1(2). Included also here, so that all definitions are in the same article for greater clarity.

AddedArticle 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3 – point c: (c) air quality and associated impacts on human health and the environment in Member States,

AddedArticle 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3 – point c a (new): (ca) direct and indirect healthcare and environmental costs associated with air pollution as well as cost-benefit analysis,

AddedArticle 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3 – point d a (new): (da) progress made in implementing other relevant Union legislation, in particular in the field of climate, transport and energy,

AddedArticle 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3 – point d b (new): (db) introduction by individual Member States of more stringent air quality standards in accordance with Article 193 TFEU.

AddedArticle 3 – paragraph 2 – subparagraph 3 a (new): The Commission shall support and work closely with the WHO Regional Office for Europe to monitor and review the scientific evidence on health effects of air pollution.

AddedArticle 3 – paragraph 2 a (new): 2a. In the first regular review, by 31 December 2028, the Commission shall propose, if appropriate, limit values, target values or critical levels for the air pollutants measured by the monitoring supersites referred to in Article 10 but currently not included in Annex I. Those values or levels shall be in line with the latest scientific evidence as to what is necessary to protect human health and the environment. In the framework of the first regular review, the Commission shall publish an assessment on the possibility to convert the target value for ozone into a limit value, accompanied, if appropriate, by a legislative proposal.

AddedArticle 3 – paragraph 4: 4. Where the Commission considers it appropriate, as a result of the review, it shall present a proposal to revise air quality standards or to cover other air pollutants. Such a proposal shall be developed in line with the non-regression principle.

AddedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 1 a (new): (1a) ‘air quality standards’ means limit values, target values, average exposure reduction obligations, average exposure concentration objectives, critical levels, information thresholds and alert thresholds;

AddedTerm used in Article 1(2). Included also here, so that all definitions are in the same article for greater clarity and consistency of the text.

Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 21: deleted

Change 8

ChangedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 23: (23) ‘urban background locations’ means places in urban areas where levels are representative of the exposure of the general urban population, takingincluding socio-economicurban healthsensitive inequalitiespopulation intoand account;vulnerable groups;

Change 9

RemovedAmended for consistency with Recital 5, Recital 16a and Article 12(4), that introduce “the fight against social inequalities” in the text.

AddedThe amendment creates coherence with the concept of "sensitive population and vulnerable groups" defined in Article 4(39).

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 24 a (new): (24a) ‘traffic location’ means a place whose pollution level is determined predominantly by the emissions from nearby traffic on roads, motorways or other highways;

AddedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 24: (24) ‘rural background locations’ means places in rural areas with low population density where levels are representative of the exposure of the general rural population, including rural sensitive population and vulnerable groups;

RemovedAmendment for consistency with the changes made to the assessment of “Average Exposure Indicator” (AEI) in Definition 28 of Article 4, Point A in Section 5 of Annex I, and the deletion of Point B in Annex III.

AddedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 24 a (new): (24a) ‘air pollution hotspot’ means a place where the pollution level is strongly influenced by the emissions from heavy pollution sources such as, but not limited to, nearby congested and heavily trafficked roads, motorways or other highways, a single industrial source or an industrial area with many sources, ports, airports, intensive residential heating, or a combination thereof;

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 24 b (new): (24b) ‘industrial location’ means a place whose pollution level is influenced predominantly by emissions from a nearby single industrial source or an industrial area with many sources, such as, but not limited to, sources of power generation, incinerators, waste treatment plants and ports;

RemovedAmendment for consistency with the changes made to the assessment of “Average Exposure Indicator” (AEI) in Definition 28 of Article 4, Point A in Section 5 of Annex I, and the deletion of Point B in Annex III.

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 24 c (new): (24c) ‘residential location’ means a place whose predominant use is residential, and whose concentration levels are higher than urban background locations as a result of the high use of residential heating sources in the area;

RemovedAmendment for consistency with the changes made to the assessment of “Average Exposure Indicator” (AEI) in Definition 28 of Article 4, Point A in Section 5 of Annex I, and the deletion of Point B in Annex III.

Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point 26: (26) ‘limit value’ means a level which is fixed on the basis of scientific knowledge, with the aim of avoiding, preventing or reducing harmful effects on human health or the environment, and which is to be attained within a given period and not to be exceeded once attained ;

Change 10

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 27: deleted

AddedClarification amendment. The words "not to be exceeded" are moved to the end.

RemovedAmendment to reflect the change in the proposal of the ozone target value for the protection of human health into a limit value, and for the protection of the environment into a critical level. This change is in accordance with the changes made to Table 1, Section 1 of Annex I and Section 2 of Annex I.

AddedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 28: (28) ‘average exposure indicator’ means an average level determined on the basis of measurements at urban background locations throughout the territorial unit at NUTS 2 level as described in Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003, or, if there is no urban area located in that territorial unit, at rural background locations, and which reflects population exposure, used to check whether the average exposure reduction obligation and the average exposure concentration objective for that territorial unit have been met;

Change 11

ChangedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 28:29: (28)(29) ‘average exposure indicator’reduction meansobligation’ anmeans averagea levelpercentage determinedreduction onof the basisaverage ofexposure measurementsof atthe urbanpopulation background,, traffic,expressed industrialas andaverage residentialexposure locationsindicator, throughoutof thea territorial unit at NUTS 2 level as described in Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003,1059/2003 or,of ifthe thereEuropean isParliament noand urbanof areathe locatedCouncil57 inset thatfor territorialthe unit,reference atyear ruralwith backgroundthe locations,aim andof whichreducing reflectsharmful populationeffects exposure,on usedhuman tohealth, checkto whetherbe theattained averageover exposurea reductiongiven obligationperiod and the average exposure concentration objective for that territorialnot unitto havebe beenexceeded metonce ;attained;

Change 12

ChangedAmendment for consistency with the addition of definitions 24a, 24bwording andon 24c,the anddefinition changesset madeout in Point A,Article Section4, Aparagraph of1, Annexpoint I.26.

Change 13

ChangedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 29: (29)30: ‘(30) average‘average exposure reductionconcentration obligationobjective ’ means a percentage reduction of the average exposurelevel of the population , expressed as average exposure indicator, of a territorial unit at NUTS 2 level as described in Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council57indicator set for the reference year with the aim of reducing harmful effects on human health, to be attained overwithin a given period and not to be exceeded once attained;

Change 14

RemovedAmendment for consistency with the wording on definition (26).

AddedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 35: (35) ‘contributions from natural sources’ means emissions of pollutants not caused directly or indirectly by human activities, including natural events such as volcanic eruptions, seismic activities, geothermal activities, wild-land fires, high-wind events, sea sprays or the atmospheric re-suspension or transport of natural particles from dry regions, which the Member State concerned could not have prevented or mitigated by policy actions;

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 30: (30) ‘ average exposure concentration objective ’ means a level of the average exposure indicator to be attained within a given period, with the aim of reducing harmful effects on human health;

AddedAmendment for consistency with change in Annex I.

RemovedAmendment for consistency with the changes made in Annex I.

AddedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 35 a (new): (35a) ‘air quality roadmap’ means an air quality plan, adopted ahead of the attainment deadline of new limit values laid down in Section 1, Table 1, of Annex I, that sets out short- and long-term policies and measures in order to comply with those limit values;

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 33: (33) ‘alert threshold’ means a level beyond which there is a severe threat to human health from brief exposure for the population as a whole and at which immediate steps are to be taken by Member States;

AddedAmendment for consistency with the changes made to Article 19, in order to differentiate the air quality plans that have to be adopted to guarantee the attainment of new limit values, from the ones to be adopted when there is an exceedance of the limit values.

RemovedAmendment to further differentiate between information and alert thresholds and their impacts on human health. This amendment is linked to the changes made to Section 4 of Annex I.

AddedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 36: (36) ‘air quality plans’ means plans that set out measures in order to comply with limit values, ozone target values or average exposure reduction obligations once these have been exceeded;

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 35 a (new): (35a) ‘preparatory air quality plans’ means plans, adopted ahead of the attainment deadline of new limit values laid down in Section 1, Table 1, of Annex I, that set out short and long-term policies and measures in order to comply with those limit values or average exposure reduction obligations;

AddedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 38: (38) ‘the public concerned’ means the public affected or likely to be affected by exceedances of air quality standards, or having an interest in, the decision-making procedures related to the implementation of the obligations under this Directive, including non-governmental organisations promoting the protection of human health or the environment;

RemovedAmendment for consistency with the changes made to Article 19, in order to differentiate the air quality plans that have to be adopted to guarantee the attainment of new limit values (new Paragraph 1, Article 19), from the ones to be adopted when there’s an exceedance of the limit values (new Paragraph 2 Article 19).

AddedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 39: (39) ‘sensitive population and vulnerable groups’ means those population groups that are permanently or temporarily more sensitive or more vulnerable to the effects of air pollution than the average population, because of specific characteristics that make the health consequences of exposure more significant or because they have a higher sensitivity or a lower threshold for health effects or have a reduced ability to protect themselves.

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 36: (36) ‘air quality plans’ means plans that set out measures in order to comply with limit values once these have been exceeded, or average exposure reduction obligations ;

AddedArticle 5 – paragraph 1 – point b: (b) approval of measurement systems (locations, methods, equipment, networks and laboratories) and ensuring an adequate functioning and maintenance of the monitoring network;

RemovedAmendment to reflect the change in the proposal of the ozone target value into a limit value. Amendment for consistency with the vocabulary on the air quality plans on paragraph 2 of Art. 19 as proposed by the Rapporteur. The changes to ozone target values are linked to the amendments to Table 1, Section 1 of Annex I and Section 2 of Annex I.

AddedAmendment for consistency with the changes made in Annex IV, Part D, point 10 a (new).

RemovedArticle 4 – paragraph 1 – point 39: (39) ‘sensitive population and vulnerable groups’ means those population groups that are permanently or temporarily more sensitive or more vulnerable to the effects of air pollution than the average population, because of specific characteristics that make the health consequences of exposure more significant or because they have a higher sensitivity or a lower threshold for health effects or have a reduced ability to protect themselves, such as those with specific pre-existing health conditions, pregnant women, newborns, children, the elderly, people living in poverty or people living with disabilities.

AddedArticle 5 – paragraph 1 – point c: (c) ensuring the accuracy of measurements and the transfer and sharing of measurement data, including their compliance with the data quality objectives laid down in Annex V;

RemovedArticle 5 – paragraph 1 – point b: (b) approval of measurement systems (methods, equipment, networks and laboratories) and ensuring an adequate maintenance of the monitoring network;

AddedAmendment consistent with the obligations set out in Articles 22 and 23 on the provision of information to the public and reporting of information to the Commission.

RemovedAmendment for consistency with the changes made in Point 11, Point D, Annex IV.

AddedArticle 5 – paragraph 1 – point d: (d) ensuring the accuracy of air quality modelling applications;

Change 15

ChangedArticle 5 – paragraph 1 – point ig: a(g) (new):cooperation (ia)with provisionthe ofother publicMember information.States, third countries and the Commission;

Change 16

RemovedArticle 8 – paragraph 3 – subparagraph 1: In all zones where the level of pollutants exceeds a limit value established for those pollutants in Table 1 of Section 1 of Annex I, modelling applications shall be used in addition to fixed measurements to assess the ambient air quality.

AddedAmendment for consistency of the text (e.g. recital 34 and Article 2, paragraph 1, points 3 and 6).