1. to 3.

Based on reports officially submitted to the Commission under the provisions of current Community legislation, annual concentrations of PM10 (i.e. particles with a diameter less than ten micrometre (μm)) in the Attica region are in the range of 50-70 microgramme per cubic meter μg/m3) thus clearly exceeding the limit value (plus margin of tolerance) of 46 μg/m3 for the year 2003. The daily limit value to be met in 2005 is 50 μg/m3, not to be exceeded more than 35 times a calendar year. In 2002 this concentration level was reported to be exceeded at stations in the Attica region in a range of 64 and 116 days. During the reporting period April-August 2002, the population information threshold for ozone of 180 μg/m3 (1 hour average) was exceeded on average on 17 days but at two stations on more than 30 days. The one hour maximum concentrations by far exceeded 200 μg/m3, with an absolute maximum of 316 μg/m3. Based on this year's report on ‘Air pollution by ozone in Europe’ roughly 17 % of the Greek stations which showed an exceedance of the information threshold also showed an exceedance of the alert threshold of 240 μg/m3. This alert threshold is laid down in the ‘new’ Directive 2002/3/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2002 relating to ozone in ambient air (5) that came into force on 9 September 2003. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are not regulated under the existing ambient air quality legislation. The assessment of ambient air quality concerning benzene is to be reported to the Commission based on Council Directive 2000/69/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 16 November 2000 relating to limit values for benzene and carbon monoxide in ambient air, by the end of September 2004 for the first time. No information on VOCs and benzene in ambient air has been reported by Greece under Council Decision 97/101/EC of 27 January 1997, establishing a reciprocal exchange of information and data from networks and individual stations measuring ambient air pollution within the Member States (6). Current Community legislation on air quality (Air Quality Framework Directive (1996/62/EC (7)) and accompanying Daughter Directives (1999/30/EC (8), 2000/69/EC (9), 2002/3/EC)) sets out limit values for specific pollutants to be reached by certain attainment dates (e.g. 2005 for PM10). In the case of exceedance of a limit value plus a defined margin of tolerance (which decreases yearly reaching zero at the attainment date), Member States are obliged to submit plans and programmes to demonstrate how the limit value can be reached. These are due for the first time by the end of 2003. In particular concerning PM10, the Commission expects to receive these plans and programmes, since Greece did not provide so far the necessary justification to demonstrate that exceedances of PM10 are due to natural events. To combat ground-level ozone formation, along with acidification and soil eutrophication, national emission ceilings for VOC, sulphur dioxid (S02), potassium cobaltnitrite (N02) and ammonium reineckate (NH3) are to be met by 2010 under Directive 2001/81/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2001 on national emission ceilings for certain atmospheric pollutants. So far the Commission did not receive information on transposition of this Directive, which was due by 27 November 2002. The Directive requires Member States to draw up national programmes to show how they are going to meet their ceilings. So far, Greece did not inform the Commission of such a programme, which was due by 31 December 2002.