Status: 10/26/2022 4:07 p.m
In the fight against air pollution, the EU Commission has proposed new environmental standards. Stricter rules should apply to air and waste water. In Germany, fine dust in particular is considered a problem.
The European Commission wants to improve the air quality in towns and villages in the EU with stricter limit values. “Fresh air should not be a luxury, it should be seen as a basic human right,” said EU Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius in Brussels.
To this end, the Commission proposed lowering the permitted limit values for particulate matter. The pollution from fine dust with a particle size of up to 2.5 microns should be reduced by more than half in 2030, from 25 micrograms per cubic meter of air on an annual average to ten micrograms per cubic meter of air on an annual average.
Critics fear driving bans in Germany
Exactly how this is achieved should be left to the member states of the EU. The goal is to have zero air pollution by 2050. The proposals are intended to adapt existing requirements to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). About a year ago, the WHO published its recommendations for limit values for pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.
Critics fear that the stricter limits in Germany could lead to driving bans. The proposal still has to be approved by the EU Parliament and Council.
Manufacturers should contribute to the costs of waste water
The Commission also wants to introduce stricter rules for the treatment of waste water. Since, according to the Brussels authorities, 92 percent of the toxic micro-pollutants in the waste water in the European Union come from medicines and cosmetics, manufacturers of these medicines or products should in future bear the costs of removing the pollutant residues.
The commission also proposed to systematically monitor wastewater for the presence of viruses such as the corona virus. She also referred to the mass death of fish in the Oder: Lessons should be learned from such incidents and future warnings for areas downstream should be mandatory.
The Commission also wants to add 24 substances to the list of water pollutants, including certain antibiotics and pesticides such as glyphosate. In order to additionally improve the quality of water bodies in the EU, for example, waste water should be better treated.
EU Commission: Early deaths from air pollution
According to the Commission, 300,000 Europeans die prematurely every year from air pollution. Accordingly, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone are the worst pollutants. Over time, air pollution can lead to health problems such as cardiovascular or respiratory diseases.
In Germany, particulate matter is the biggest problem for the air. It is caused, among other things, by wood stoves and fireplaces or by tire wear. The microparticles cause respiratory diseases, heart problems or cancer. The air in Europe has improved over the past ten years. Nitrogen oxides, for example from diesel vehicles, are now largely under control. In contrast to particulate matter, a further significant decline is expected here in the coming years.