EN Official Journal of the European Union CE 78/62

(2004/C 78 E/0063)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1986/03

by Konstantinos Hatzidakis (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(16 June 2003)

Subject: Atmospheric pollution in Athens and Thessaloniki

According to Greek press reports at the beginning of June 2003, research was recently carried out on behalf of the Commission into levels of harmful microparticles in the air in 19 European cities. These publications show that Athens and Thessaloniki have the highest levels of tropospheric ozone or benzene, namely up to 2,6 times the permitted levels laid down in Community environmental legislation. In particular, while the highest permitted levels of this specific pollutant in the EU are 48 μg/m3, in these two cities they are as high as 125 μg/m3. Moreover, the Ministry for the Environment, Regional Planning and Public Works, the ministry responsible, admits that suspended particles really do pose a problem, especially in view of the targets set out in the Kyoto Protocol for 2005.

Will the Commission say:

1. What are the basic conclusions of this specific research regarding this type of pollution in Athens and Thessalonki?

2. What proportion of overall environmental pollution in Athens and Thessaloniki is accounted for by this pollutant?

3. Has the Commission so far made any recommendations to the Greek authorities to limit this pollutant and, if so, what measures has the Greek government taken to implement them? If no recommendations have been made to the Greek government, does the Commission consider that competent Greek authorities could have taken preventive measures in respect of the pollutant in question on their own initiative?

4. What are the permissible levels for emissions of the pollutant in question in the Kyoto Protocol and what stage has Greece reached in preparing to meet these obligations?

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(17 July 2003)

Judging from a similar Written Question (E-3254/02 by the Honourable Member) (1) sent to the Commission in November 2002, it appears that the research project referred to here is the European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (Earlinet). A basic conclusion of this project is that it is possible to develop an infrastructure for setting up a European-wide network of LIDAR systems to study the vertical distribution of aerosols. Since measurements were not carried out continuously throughout the year there is a need for caution in drawing other conclusions. In particular online monitoring of ground level particle concentrations was not in the scope of the project.

Airborne suspended particulate matter (PM) has to be considered as one of the key pollutants affecting human health. 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 that 10 micrometer (μm) in Athens and Thessaloniki are in the range of 50-70 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) thus clearly exceeding the limit value (plus margin of tolerance) of 46 μg/m3 for the year 2003. Therefore it certainly represents a major fraction of the overall air pollution, as is the case in other large European cities. However, other air pollutants like ozone, benzene, nitrogen oxides or sulphur dioxide are also important.

Current Community legislation on air quality (Air Quality Framework Directive (1996/62/EC (2)) and accompanying Daughter Directives (1999/30/EC (3), 2000/69/EC (4), 2002/3/EC (5))) sets out limit values for specific pollutants (including PM10) to be reached by certain attainment dates (2005 for PM10). In the case of exceedance of the 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. It is Member States' responsibility to take appropriate measures to reduce the air pollution. These can differ between Member States. The Commission does not give specific recommendations on how the limit values are to be reached in individual cases.

While particles do influence the radiation balance through their specific absorption and light scattering characteristics they are not regarded as a major cause of climate change. Consequently they are not amongst the substances covered by the Kyoto Protocol.

(1) OJ C 155 E, 3.7.2003, p. 119.

(2) Council Directive 96/62/EC of 27 September 1996 on ambient air quality assessment and management, OJ L 296, 21.11.1996.

(3) Council Directive 1999/30/EC of 22 April 1999 relating to limit values for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter and lead in ambient air, OJ L 163, 29.6.1999.

(4) 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, OJ L 313, 13.12.2000.

(5) Directive 2002/3/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2002 relating to ozone in ambient air, OJ L 67, 9.3.2002.