COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 28.11.1995 
COM(95) 468 final 
94/0194 (SYN) 
Amended proposal for a 
COUNCIL DECISION 
establishing 
a reciprocal exchange of information and data from networks and individual stations 
measuring ambient air pollution within the Member States 
(presented by the Commission pursuant to Article 189 a (2) 
of the EC-Treaty) 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
In accordance with the first paragraph of Article 130a of the EC Treaty, the Council 
consulted Parliament on the proposal for a Decision establishing a reciprocal exchange 
of information and data from networks and individual stations measuring ambient air 
pollution within the Member States (COM(94) 345 final - 90/0194 (SYN)). During its 
June 1995 plenary part-session, the European Parliament approved 11 amendments, 10 
of which were accepted by the Commission either wholly or in part. 
The following comments relate to the various amendments approved and rejected. 
Amendments accepted by the Commission 
Amendment 18, amending the title of the proposal, simplifies it while still covering the 
objective of the Decision; in practice, the new name will be easier to use. 
Amendments 2, 9 and 20 (first part) introduce a distinction between the pollutants which 
will be covered by the Directives on ambient air quality, for which the exchange of 
information is compulsory, and those which are not covered and for which the exchange 
of information is required only to the extent that these pollutants are measured in 
Member States. However, the second part of Amendment 2 is not accepted because it 
refers to an obligation to measure substances at a later stage whereas this Decision covers 
only the exchange of information. The obligation to carry out measurements is, or will 
be, covered by the Ambient Air Quality Directives. For the same reason, the reference 
to measurements in the title of Amendment 9 is rejected. 
Amendments 3 and 6 relate to the obligation to make available to the general public the 
data concerned and the software which makes it possible to consult the data bases. These 
amendments are in line with the Commission's policy on transparency and public access 
to information. However, to avoid setting up a complex and costly system, the 
Commission wishes to use simple means to achieve this end. 
Amendments 19 and 8 (first part) amend the dates on which the proposed legislation 
enters into force and are consistent with the present situation. 
Amendment 7 concerns the preparation of reports on the trends in air quality within the 
EU and on the breaching of EU limits. The publication of such data for public 
consumption is certainly necessary and useful; nevertheless, such publication must not 
duplicate the work being carried out pursuant to the Ambient Air Quality Directives, 
which also require reports to be drawn up. 
The principle of reviewing the system after it has been in place for a certain time, as 
proposed in Amendment 8 (second part), is completely justified; it enables a beneficial 
dynamic process to be initiated. However, the proposed period of two years is too short 
to provide a proper overview of the situation; the Commission considers that five years 
would be a more appropriate period. 
Other amendments which have been accepted in whole or in principle represent 
operational improvements or useful additions (Amendment 10, second part, and 
Amendment 11). 
Amendment rejected by the Commission 
Amendment 5 stipulates that all the measuring stations in the Member States must take 
part in the exchange of information. This does not meet the objective of the proposal, 
which is to make available a representative body of data. This amendment is unacceptable 
because it would mean a considerable and useless increase in the amount of data to be 
transmitted and stored, and there is no guarantee whatsoever that this mass of information 
would be used. In practice, it would mean a duplication at Community level of the data 
bases which exist at national level. 
In accordance with Article 189a (2) of the EC Treaty, the Commission hereby amends 
as follows its proposal for a Decision establishing a reciprocal exchange of information 
and data from networks and individual stations measuring ambient air pollution within the 
Member States, so as to include the accepted amendments in its new proposal. 
Original text Amended text 
Amendment 18 
Title 
Proposal for a Council Decision 
establishing a reciprocal exchange of 
information and data from networks and 
individual stations measuring ambient 
air pollution within the Member States. Proposal for a Council Decision 
on the measurement of. and exchange of 
information on^ ambient air pollution. 
Amendment 2 
Article 2 
The reciprocal exchange shall cover the 
pollutants listed in Annex 1 to the extent 
that they are measured in the 
Member States. The reciprocal exchange shall cover all 
the pollutants listed in Annex 1. 
Member States shall be obliged to supply 
the data and information covered by the 
Ambient Air Quality Directive and listed 
in Annex 1.1. Member States shall be 
required to supply data and information 
for the pollutants in Annex 1.2 to the 
extent that they are currently measured 
in Member States. 
Amendment 3 
Article 4 (2) 
The Commission will make available to 
the Member States computer files 
containing the information already 
collected by its departments on the 
subject and software enabling them to be 
used and updated. The Commission shall make available to 
the Member States and the latter shall 
make available to the general public 
computer files containing the information 
already collected by its departments on 
the subject, and software enabling them 
to be used and updated. 
(Amendment 19) 
Article 4 (3) 
The Member States shall correct, amend The Member States shall correct, amend 
and/or supplement that information. The and/or supplement that information. The 
updated computer files shall be sent to updated computer files shall be sent to 
the Commission each year by 1 October the Commission each year by 1 October 
at the latest; the first sending shall take at the latest; the first sending shall take 
place by 1 October 1994. place on 1 October 1995. 
(Amendment 6) 
Article 5 (6) 
The Commission shall prepare each year The Commission shall prepare each year 
a technical report on the results collected a technical report on the results collected 
and shall make available to the and shall make available to the 
Member States the updated "results" data Member States the updated "results" data 
base. base. This data shall be made available 
by the Member States to the public on 
request using an appropriate medium. 
(Amendment 7) 
Article 5(7a) (new) 
The Commission or EEA shall prepare a 
general report which Member States shall 
make available for public consumption 
summarizing the collected data and 
outlining the underlying trends in the EU 
for air quality. The report shall also 
contain a summary of the information 
gathered as a result of the 
implementation of the Directives on 
Ambient Air Quality. 
(Amendment 8) 
Article 9 
This Decision shall apply with effect This Decision shall apply with effect 
from 1 October 1994. from 1 October 1995. It shall be 
reviewed five years after this date. 
(Amendment 9) 
Annex 1.1 
List of pollutants, recommended averaging 
times, statistical parameters and units of 
measurement. 
POLLUTANT AVERAGE 
OVER 
1. SO, Sulphur dioxide 24 h 
2. AF Strong acidity 24 h 
(expressed in S 02 equivalent) 
3. SPM suspended particulates 
(total) 24 h 
4. PM10 suspended part. (<10^m) 24 h 
5. BS black smoke 24 h 
6. 03 ozone 1 h 
7. NO2 nitrogen dioxide 1 h 
8. MOx nitrogen oxides 1 h 
(Expressed in NO* equivalent) 
9. CO carbon monoxide 1 h 
10. H2S hydrogen sulphide 24 h 
11. Pb lead 24 h 
12. Hg mercury 24 h 
13. Cd cadmium 24 h 
14. Ni nickel 24 h 
15. Cr chromium 24 h 
16. Mn 
17. As 
18. CS, 
19. C6H( manganese 
arsenic 
carbon disulphide 
; benzene 
20. CJk-CH, toluene 
21. aH<CH-CH, stvrene 
22. CH,-CH-CN acrvlonitrile 
23. HCHO Formaldehyde 
24. C2HC13 trichloroethvlene 
25. CoCl,) tetrachloroethylene 
26. CH,CL dichloromethane 24 h 24 h 
24 h 
24 h 
24 h 
24 h 
24 h 
1 h 
24 h 
24 h 
24 h 27. BaP benzo(a)pvrene 
28. PAH poly aromatic hydrocarbons 24 h 
29. VC vinyl chloride 24 h 
30. COV (NM) volative organic 24h 
comp. (total non-methane) 
31. COV m vol. org, comp. (total) 24 h 
32. PAN peroxvacetvl nitrate 1 h 
33. N-dep. wet nitrogen deposition 1 month 
(N equivalent) 
34. S-dep. wet sulphur deposition 1 month 
(S equivalent) List of pollutants covered bv the Ambient 
Air Quality Directives in respect of which the 
reciprocal exchange of information is 
compulsory. 
POLLUTANT 
S02 
SPM 
BS 
03 
N02 
NOx 
CO 
Pb 
Cd 
Ni 
As 
QH6 
PAH AVERAGE 
OVER 
sulphur dioxide 24 h 
suspended particulate matter 24 h 
black smoke 24 h 
ozone 1 h 
nitrogen dioxide 1 h 
nitrogen oxides 1 h 
(expressed in N02 equivalent) 
carbon monoxide 1 h 
lead 24 h 
cadmium 24 h 
nickel 24 h 
arsenic 24 h 
benzene 24 h 
polyaromatic hydrocarbons 24 h 
(Benzo-a-Pvrene (BaP) as indicator) 
Fluoride 
(Amendment 10) 
Annex 1.2. 
(New) 
List of pollutants in respect of which 
measurement and the reciprocal exchange are 
required to the extent that they are currently 
measured in Member States 
POLLUTANT AVERAGE 
OVER 
AF Strong acidity 
(expressed in S02 equivalent) 
PM10 suspended part. (<10^m) 
H,S hydrogen sulphide 
H g mercury 
Cr chromium 
Mn manganese 
CS; carbon disulphide 
CA-CTL toluene 
CJLCH-CH, styrene 
CH.-CH-CN acrylonitrile 
HCHO formaldehyde 
C2HC1? trichloroethylene 
G>Ch tetrachloroethylene 
CH2C12 dichloromethane 
BaP benzo(a)pyrene 
VC vinyl chloride 
COV (NM) volatile organic 
comp. (total non-methane) 
COV (T) vol. org, comp. (total) 
PAN peroxyacetvl nitrate 
N-dep. wet nitrogen deposition 
(N equivalent) 
N-dep. wet sulphur deposition 
(S equivalent) 
Butadienne averaged over 24 h 
24 h 
24 h 
24 h 
24 h 
24 h 
IL 
24 h 
24 h 
24 h 
1 h 
24 h 
24 h 
24 h 
24 h 
24 h 
24h 
24 h 
1 month 
1 month 
24 h 
(Amendment 11) 
Annex 2. II.2.1. first three indents 
- Wide street with 
large volume of traffic (in excess of 10 000 
vehicles a day) 
moderate volume of traffic (between 2 000 
and 10 000 vehicles a day) 
low volume of traffic (less than 2 000 
vehicles a day) 
pedestrian area 
Narrow street with 
large volume of traffic (in excess of 10 000 
vehicles a day) 
moderate volume of traffic (between 2 000 
and 10 000 vehicles a day) 
low volume of traffic (less than 2 000 
vehicles a day) 
pedestrian area 
Canyon street with 
large volume of traffic (in excess of 10 000 
vehicles a day) 
moderate volume of traffic (between 2 000 
and 10 000 vehicles a day) 
low volume of traffic (less than 2 000 
vehicles a day) Wide street with 
heavy volume of traffic (in excess of 30 000 
vehicles a dav) 
large volume of traffic (between 10 000 and 
30 000 vehicles a day) 
moderate volume of traffic (between 2 000 
and 10 000 vehicles a day) 
low volume of traffic (less than 2 000 
vehicles a day) 
pedestrian area 
Narrow street with 
heavy volume of traffic (in excess of 30 000 
vehicles a dav) 
large volume of traffic (between 10 000 and 
30 000 vehicles a day) 
moderate volume of traffic (between 2 000 
and 10 000 vehicles a day) 
low volume of traffic (less than 2 000 
vehicles a day) 
pedestrian area 
Canyon street with 
heavy volume of traffic (in excess of 30 000 
vehicles a dav) 
large volume of traffic (between 10 000 and 
30 000 vehicles a day) 
moderate volume of traffic (between 2 000 
and 10 000 vehicles a day) 
low volume of traffic (less than 2 000 
vehicles a day) 
pedestrian area pedestrian area 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(95) 468 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 14 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-95-510-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-94127-8 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
L-2985 Luxembourg 
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