REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Mid-term review of the Zero Pollution Action Plan ‘Delivering clean air, ocean, freshwaters and soil’
Date: 2026-01-29
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: EU action, air quality, climate change policy, environmental protection, industrial pollution, noise pollution, pollution control measures, soil pollution, sustainable development, water pollution

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 29.1.2026  COM(2026) 42 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Mid-term review of the Zero Pollution Action Plan     ‘Delivering clean air, ocean, freshwaters and soil’                    
 
 
1 

INTRODUCTION 
The  report  ‘Europe’s  Environment  2025’1  contains  scientific  evidence  that 
climate  change  and  environmental  degradation  continue  to  affect  Europe’s 
the 
competitiveness,  economy  and  resilience.  It 
implementation  of  policies  and  long-term  sustainability-enabling  actions  already 
agreed  to  under  the  European  Green  Deal.  Such  actions  are  in  line  with  the 
European  Commission’s  Competitiveness  Compass  and  Clean  Industrial  Deal 
priorities in terms of innovation, decarbonisation and security.  

to  step  up 

is  urgent 

A  clean  environment  is  a  prerequisite  for  a  competitive  and  sustainable 
economy that works for both people and the planet. Clean air is proven to reduce 
the  number  of  sick  days  people  take  off  work.  It  also  reduces  health-care  costs2. 
Clean  ocean  and  freshwater  are  needed  for  many  economic  activities,  such  as 
agriculture,  fisheries  and  aquaculture,  food  processing  or  industrial  production. 
Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is  also essential for public health and 
well-being. Clean and healthy soils are essential for sustainable agriculture, have a 
positive impact on yields and ensure food security and safety. Regulating the use of 
hazardous chemicals in products reduces risk to human health and the environment, 
encourages  waste  management  practices  in  line  with  the  waste  hierarchy  and  is 
conducive  to  a  competitive  and  circular  economy  by  enabling  innovative  clean 
solutions. The World Economic Forum identified pollution among the top 10 global 
risks in 20253.    

Europe has set a trajectory for making the environment cleaner. The 2021 Zero 
Pollution Action Plan4 sets out the long-term ambition for a toxic-free environment5 
and  is  a  key  pillar  of  the  EU’s  clean  and  circular  competitiveness  agenda.  The 
ambition  for  2050 has  also  been enshrined in  recent  laws6 to  help  guide the  green 
transition.  Key  milestones  are  the  2030  targets  used  to  measure  progress  in 
implementing  the  Zero  Pollution  Action  Plan7.  Together  with  the  Chemicals 
Strategy for Sustainability8, the Action Plan announced concrete actions to put the 
EU on a path towards achieving zero pollution as a complement to its climate and 
nature  restoration  goals,  thereby  addressing  the  triple  planetary  crisis.  Staying  the 
course  to  reach  the  environmental  ambitious  goals  is  Europe’s  strategic  autonomy 
agenda in times of geopolitical unrest. 

1  EEA (2025), Europe’s environment and climate 
2  OECD  (2025):  Want  stronger  growth  in  Europe?  Start  with  the  air  we  breathe,  “The  impact  of  air 

pollution on labour productivity: Large-scale micro evidence from Europe” 

3  World Economic Forum: “Global Risks 2025: The point of no return”  
4  COM(2021) 400 
5 

‘A  Healthy  Planet  for  All:  Air,  water  and  soil  pollution  is  reduced  to  levels  no  longer  considered 
harmful to health and natural ecosystems and that respect the boundaries our planet can cope with, 
thus creating a toxic-free environment.’ 

6  Article 1.1 of the revised Ambient Air Quality Directive (EU) 2024/2881 and Article 1.1 of the Soil 

Monitoring Law (EU) 2025/2360 

7   Zero pollution targets 
8  COM(2020) 667 

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Transformative  actions  have  been  undertaken  and  will  continue  over  the 
coming years9. The Commission has made it clear that zero pollution objectives are 
firmly  anchored  in  the  priorities  for  a  competitive  and  resilient  Europe.  The  focus 
will  be  on  implementing  the  agreed  legislation,  with  particular  attention  paid  to 
make it easier for Member States and companies to abide by it10. This will be a pre-
requisite  for  moving  towards  zero  pollution.  Under  the  2024  –  2029  Political 
Guidelines,  several  headline  policies  such  as  the  Clean  Industrial  Deal,  the 
Competitiveness Compass, the Water Resilience Strategy, the European Ocean Pact, 
the Vision for Agriculture and Food and the Chemicals Industry Action Plan as well 
as the Bioeconomy Strategy11 have announced further actions to help achieve zero 
pollution.  Major  strategic  initiatives  such  as  the upcoming  Circular  Economy  Act, 
the  revision  of  the  Registration,  Evaluation,  Authorisation  and  Restriction  of 
Chemicals  (REACH),  and  actions  linked  to  the  One  Health  agenda,  such  as 
preventive  health,  will  also  be  crucial  for  addressing  some  of  the  identified 
shortcomings.  

Strengthening  the  untapped  potential  of  innovation  for  zero  pollution  is 
needed.  The  EU’s  environmental  economy12  continued  to  grow  more  strongly  in 
2022  than  the  overall  economy  in  terms  of  employment  and  added  value13.  By 
supporting green industries, reskilling workforces, redefining business models, and 
reducing  the  administrative  burden  especially  for  small-  and  medium-sized 
enterprises  (SMEs)  and  micro-enterprises,  societies  can  achieve  sustainable 
prosperity and competitiveness. Over the past few years, Horizon Europe and LIFE 
funding  have  helped  to  develop  breakthrough  solutions.  This  has  led  to  many 
success  stories,  including  selected  examples  mentioned  in  this  document.  EU  eco-
innovation  is  highly  developed.  It  must  be  further  harnessed  in  the  EU  in 
commercial  applications  to  support  high-tech  competitiveness  of  the  EU’s  green 
economy. 

Stricter  environmental  regulations  also  push  businesses  to  innovate.  EU 
environmental legislation can support the deployment of green and clean innovative 
solutions.  Green  and  clean  innovation  can  drive  productivity  and  create  new 
markets14.  The  OECD  has  pointed  out  that  green  sectors  are  creating  new  value 
chains and new solutions that make for greater efficiency and provide cost savings. 
The  World  Economic  Forum  believes  that  countries  leading  in  green  tech  can 
dominate emerging  markets.  It  has also  pointed  out  that 80% of global companies 
now  integrate  sustainability  into  innovation  strategies15.  Recently  the  OECD 
confirmed that even modest improvements in air quality can boost productivity16.  

See Zero Pollution action tracker and Chemicals Strategy implementation 

9 
10   COM(2025) 980 
11  COM  (2025)  30,  COM(2025)  85,  COM(2025)  280,  COM(2025)  281,  COM(2025)  75,  COM(2025) 

530, COM(2025) 960 

12  Many of these sectors contribute directly or indirectly to zero pollution (see EUROSTAT). 
13  ESTAT (2025): Environmental economy – statistics on employment and growth 
14  OECD: Economic and environmental outcomes of innovation 
15  The  OECD  reports  that  environmental  goods  and  services  (EGS)  markets  grew  by  4.5%  annually 

between 2010 and 2020, outpacing GDP growth.  

16  OECD (2025), same as footnote 2.  

2 

 
 
 
 
Investment  is  essential  for  unlocking  innovation  potential.  Currently,  the 
potential  investment  gap  for  implementing  EU  environment  legislation  is  EUR  58 
billion  per  year  (0.4%  of  EU  GDP)17.  The  new  Multiannual  Financial  Framework 
offers  new  opportunities  to  secure  initial  public  financing.  Private  investments  are 
also needed, and public-private initiatives can help to unlock them. The returns on 
investment  from  tackling  pollution  are  much  higher  than  the  costs.  In  the  case  of 
tackling  air  pollution,  they  are  estimated  at  700%  thanks  to  lower  healthcare 
expenditure, fewer crop yield losses due to ozone, fewer absences from work due to 
illness, and higher productivity at work18.  

More  and  more  businesses,  cities  and  regions  are  taking  the  lead.  They  are 
showing that the green transition, including zero pollution transition, is possible and 
brings  tangible  advantages  with  it.  This  report  aims  to  non-exhaustively  showcase 
some of the frontrunners.  

Now it is time to take stock of progress and map out the next steps. This report 
presents the mid-term review of the Action Plan announced in 202119. It builds on 
the  findings  of  the  latest  European  Environment  Agency  (EEA)  Report  “Europe’s 
Environment  2025”20  which  has  been  informed  by  the  second  Zero  Pollution 
Monitoring and Outlook 202521.  

2  PROGRESS TOWARDS A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT (SINCE 2021) 

Progress on reaching the zero pollution targets is encouraging, though mixed. 
The  latest  assessment  found  that  air  pollution22,  the  use  of  pesticides  and  risk, 
antimicrobial  sales  and  plastic  pollution  at  sea  (monitored  through  beach  litter)23 
had been significantly reduced. For noise24 and nutrient pollution of waters, as well 
as waste, the trends are stable, whereas microplastics pollution has been estimated to 
have increased in recent years. Limited progress or lack of it, in some areas can be 
partly  explained  by  the  lag  time  between  implementing  new  measures  and  seeing 
their effects25, and by data limitations.  

The  legal  framework  for  zero  pollution  is  largely  in  place.  Over  the  past  six 
years, EU rules have been revised to raise the level of ambition to achieve the 2050 
vision  and  reach  the  2030  targets.  In  some  areas,  the  scope  of  EU  legislation  has 

17  COM(2025) 420 
18  SWD(2022) 345 
19   ‘As many work strands are ongoing or only starting to deliver results, by 2025 the Commission will 
take stock of the degree of implementation of this action plan, building on the second Zero Pollution 
Monitoring and Outlook Report. It will identify whether further action is needed to address emerging 
concerns and review the targets, flagships and actions identified so far, so that this decade sets the EU 
on the pathway to zero pollution…’.  

20  EEA  (2025):  Europe's  Environment  2025  which,  on  pollution,  builds  on  the  2nd  Zero  Pollution 

Monitoring and Outlook 

21  EEA & JRC (2025): Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook 2025 as well as corresponding thematic 
assessments  (e.g.  Fourth  Clean  Air  Outlook  (COM/2025/64)  or  the  2025  Environmental  Noise  in 
Europe report) 

22  See also EEA report 1/2025 Air Quality Status Report 2025 
23  The  results  for  pesticide  use  and  antimicrobial  sales  must  be  used  with  caution  as  they  do  not 

adequately consider the risks they can cause to human health and the environment.  

24  See also EEA report 5/2025 Environmental Noise in Europe 
25  COM(2025) 420 

3 

 
 
 
 
been extended to cover more polluting activities. Nature restoration measures have 
also been agreed on. Efforts are required by the Commission and the Member States 
to  monitor  operating  permits  and  grant  updated  ones  (for  air,  water  and  industrial 
emissions for example) so that encouraging results can be obtained on the ground26. 
Once the resulting measures are implemented, they will prevent or reduce pollution. 

Supporting and preparatory actions have laid the groundwork for the future27. 
For example, the evaluation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive has led to 
the  announcement  of  its  upcoming  revision28,  as  a  key  component  of  the 
deployment of the Ocean Pact. Other evaluations, of, for example, bathing water, air 
emissions, and sewage sludge , have identified areas where better implementation is 
needed29.  The  supporting  document  on  indoor  air  quality  identifies  several  EU 
norms  that  can  help  Member  States  make  tailor-made  improvements30.  The  nine 
flagships  in  the  Action  Plan  have  also  managed,  to  a  greater  or  lesser  degree,  to 
integrate zero pollution into other policy areas31.   

Some zero pollution actions have yet to be implemented. Major legal proposals, 
such  as  those  on  water  pollutants32,  healthy  soils33  and  ‘One  Substance,  One 
Assessment’34,  have  just  entered  or  are  about  to  enter  into  force  after  long 
negotiations. A few evaluations, in particular the Fitness Check of the Polluter Pays 
Principle  or  the  evaluation  of  the  Environment  Liability  Directive,  have  yet  to  be 
completed. Other ongoing evaluations are on single-use plastics and on nitrates. The 
actions  aimed  at  helping  farmers  to  adopt  less  polluting  nutrients  management 
practices35,  have  been  delayed  due  to  the  postponement  of  the  Integrated  Nutrient 
Management  Action  Plan.  In  the  meantime,  some  relevant  actions  have  been 
included in the European Water Resilience Strategy36. The proposal for a Regulation 
on  the  sustainable  use  of  plant  protection  products  has  been  withdrawn  by  the 
Commission, as political support from the co-legislators was lacking.   

The EU has taken its zero pollution vision to the next level. The development of 
the Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook and the presentation of two assessment 
reports37 has in the meantime provided an integrated, comprehensive and forward-
looking  overview  of  all  types  of  pollution  and  their  effect  on  human  health  and 
biodiversity. This work is underpinned by  considerable thematic work, such as the 

26   With additional proposals to speed up environmental assessments (COM(2025) 984) 
27  Zero Pollution action tracker 
28  See COM(2025) 280 and COM(2025) 281 
29  SWD(2025) 52, SWD(2023) 157 and SWD(2025) 394 & 395 
30  SWD(2024) 147 
31  See updated information on flagships in the action tracker 
32  COM(2022) 540 
33  Directive (EU) 2025/2360 
34  Regulation (EU) 2025/2455, Regulation (EU) 2025/2457, Directive (EU) 2025/2456 
35  COM(2021) 400: Actions 22. “Build capacity and improve knowledge on less polluting practices with 
national advisory services for farmers” and 23. “Compile and make accessible in a digital format all 
main obligations on nutrient management stemming from EU law to limit the environmental footprint 
of farming activities”.  

36  COM(2025)  280:  “Launch  an  Assistance  Toolbox  for  Member  States  to  support  actions  to  reduce 
nutrients  pollution,  including  through  enhanced  modelling,  interactive  maps  and  exchanges  of  best 
practices.” 

37  2025 report and 2022 report, see for overview: Zero pollution targets 

4 

 
 
 
 
modelling  for  the  Clean  Air  Outlook38  which  assesses  the  implications  of  air 
pollutant  emission  reductions  in  terms  of  their  impacts  and  their  costs  to  and 
benefits for society, or the new EU indicator framework for chemicals39 which looks 
at the causes and impacts of chemical pollution.  

Knowledge and data gaps persist. Some of the indicators for monitoring progress 
in  reaching  zero  pollution  targets  are  inadequate  in  terms  of  indicating  pollution 
reduction  in  water  or  soil  (in  terms  of  the  use  of  pesticides  and  antimicrobials  for 
example)  or  they  lack  regular  dataflows  to  assess  them  (on  nutrient  losses  and 
microplastics  for  example).  Data  are  sometimes  late  or  incomplete  or  lacking  in 
quality. Other gaps are the availability of data concerning the presence of substances 
of  concern  in  both  products  and  waste  streams.  Better  use  of  digitalisation  and 
newer  monitoring  techniques,  including  satellite  earth  observation  and  real-time 
(online) monitoring using appropriate sensors, can help overcome these challenges. 
A  particular  knowledge  gap  exists  regarding  the  impacts  of  certain  pollutants  on 
health  and  biodiversity,  namely  microplastics,  anthropogenic  noise  and  light 
pollution. Furthermore, there is a lack of understanding about the health effects of 
human  exposure  to  various  pollutants,  including  the  'cocktail  effect'  that  happens 
when individuals are exposed to multiple chemicals simultaneously. The EU Water 
Resilience  as  well  as  the  EU  Ocean  Research  &  Innovation  Strategies  will  assess 
remaining  knowledge  gaps  in  water  resilience  and  ocean  protection,  identifying 
relevant priorities also for achieving zero pollution.  

The Commission will  
-   continue to share best practices and promote innovative solutions, 
-   establish  an  early  warning  and  action  system  (EWAS)  (by  properly 

implementing ‘One Substance, One Assessment’ legislation),  

-   prepared  Research  &  Innovation  Strategies  on  water  resilience  and  ocean 

protection and  

-   further  invest  in  improving  the  evidence  base  for  better  data,  indicators, 

assessments and modelling.   

3  OUTLOOK FOR A CLEAN ENVIRONMENT BY 2030 AND BEYOND 

The  progress  made  towards  reaching  the  2030  targets  will  largely  depend  on 
national  implementation  efforts.  Even  if  the  outlook  has  indicated  that  fully 
reaching  all  targets  by  2030  is  unlikely,  significant  progress  can  still  be  made  if 
national,  regional  and  local  actors  implement  the  agreed  legislation  and  policies 
swiftly  and  with  a  high  level  of  ambition.  For  example,  in  case  of  transport  noise 
(target to reduce by 30% by 2030 the proportion of people chronically disturbed by 
transport), a positive scenario with additional measures could result in a reduction of 
up  to  23%.  Similarly,  for  the  air  deposition  of  nitrogen  (25%  reduction  target  for 
2030),  a  19%  reduction  is  predicted  if  Member  States  fulfil  their  current  emission 
reduction  commitments  in  a  timely  manner.  If  Member  States  take  some  further 
technical  measures,  this  reduction  could  be  increased  to  31%40.  Projections  up  to 

38  Clean Air Outlook, Fourth Report COM(2025) 64 
39  EEA  /  European  Chemicals  Agency  (ECHA)  Report  (2024):  “EU  Agencies:  more  work  needed  to 
make chemicals safe and sustainable” and online dashboard EU indicator framework for chemicals 

40  COM(2025) 64 

5 

 
 
 
 
2030  with  the  Consumption  Footprint  also  show  that  the  EU  has  the  potential  to 
reduce  impacts  across  several  environmental  dimensions41.  These  examples 
demonstrate that similar progress can be made in case of other targets. 

Many  cities  and  regions  are  taking  the  plunge.  The  EU’s  green  urban  and 
regional  initiatives  attract  an  increasing  number  of  local  and  regional  citizens  and 
decision-makers. By 2030, 112 cities in the EU and 8 neighbouring countries want 
to become carbon neutral in the EU Mission for Smart and Climate-Neutral Cities. 
The EU Mission label has been awarded to 103 cities. These cities have submitted 
their  climate-city  contracts,  outlining  concrete  objectives  to  reduce  air,  water  and 
noise pollution, with significant co-benefits for pollution reduction. Under the Green 
City  Accord, 123  cities  have  committed  themselves  to  reducing  their  pollution 
footprint by 2030, by taking action on air quality, noise and water quality together 
with  waste management-circular  economy  and urban greening  efforts. Since 2010, 
the  European  Commission  has  acknowledged  the  best  performing  and  committed 
cities with the European Green Capital and Green Leaf awards. 

Green cities and regions across the EU moving towards zero pollution 
The Zero Pollution Dashboard shows that most regions have been able to reduce pollution 
over  the  past  few  years.  In  the  Green  City  Accord,  many  cities  have  implemented 
comprehensive  strategies  to  mitigate  pollution  and  improving  overall  urban  living 
conditions  for  residents.  A  good  example  is  the  Limp.AR  programme  of  Guimarães  (a 
signatory of the Green City Accord and European Green Capital in 2026). Limp.AR focuses 
on  improving  air  and  noise  quality  in  urban  centres  by  promoting  the  integration  of 
vegetation,  active  mobility  solutions  and  raising  environmental  awareness.  Another  good 
example is the city of Lahti (European Green Capital in 2021). The city has implemented 
numerous small and large-scale environmental actions, including the cleaning up the badly 
polluted lake (Lake Vesijärvi project). Lahti emerged as one of Europe’s most progressive 
environmentally  friendly  cities.  Many  cities  are  also  frontrunners  in  urban  greening  and 
restoration.  For  example,  Madrid,  Bologna  and  Milan  are  implementing  the  LIFE  VEG 
GAP  project  which  looks  at  how  vegetation  ecosystems  can  contribute,  both  as  a  source 
and  as  a  sink,  to  air  pollution  and  affect  air  temperature.  The  Green  Going  Local:  best 
practices database of the Committee of the Regions provides more good examples.  

Some  pollution  challenges  require  additional  EU  action.  The  European  Water 
Resilience  Strategy42  and  the  Vision  for  Agriculture  and  Food43  have  identified 
nutrient pollution, as a continuous priority challenge and several actions have been 
announced to address the matter. The evaluation of the National Emission-reductions 
Commitments  Directive44  and  the  ongoing  evaluation  of  the  Nitrates  Directive 
analyse  whether  these  key  nutrient  pollution  reduction  instruments  are  still  ‘fit  for 
purpose’. The implementation of the CAP national strategic plans will also continue 
to support the reduction of nutrient and other pollution. In terms of aquaculture, the 
reduction  of  nutrient  (and  other)  pollution  is  being  promoted  through  the  Strategic 
Guidelines  on  EU  Aquaculture45.  In  terms  of  emissions  from  livestock,  the 
Commission is working on a comprehensive strategy that will address all aspects of 

41   See Chapter 3.5 on Pollution from Consumption in Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook 2025, also 

available in Consumption Footprint and Domestic Footprint Outlook Report 2025 

42  COM(2025) 280 
43  COM(2025) 75 
44   SWD(2025) 394 
45  COM (2021) 236 

6 

 
 
 
 
livestock  farming,  including  the  environmental  and  climate  sustainability  of  the 
sector. The Commission will present its report in accordance with Article 73 by 31 
December 2026. Finally, the Commission will continue to support farmers and other 
beneficiaries  in  environmental  and  climate  priority  areas.  Furthermore,  the 
Commission  will  prepare  an  Assistance  Toolbox  for  Member  States  to  support 
actions  to  reduce  nutrient  pollution  including  support  for  farmers  for  the 
extensification  of  livestock  systems  or  for  diversification  to  other  agricultural 
activities46. The removal of pesticides and their metabolites from groundwater and 
drinking  water  is  becoming  more  and  more  challenging,  in  particular  in  rural 
environments  due  to  agricultural  activities  near  catchment  areas.  Besides  ensuring 
compliance with the recently revised groundwater, surface water and drinking water 
quality  standards,  the  implementation  of  the  recast  Drinking  Water  Directive 
requires Member States to  ensure that a risk assessment of the catchment areas for 
abstraction points is carried out and appropriate risk management is put in place by 
July 2027 at the latest.  

Clean rivers and lakes - zero water pollution47  
The  research  cluster  Zero  Pollution  for  Water  (ZP4Water)  looks  at  pollution  throughout 
the water cycle. 32 case studies are looking into solutions for zero-pollution drinking and 
groundwater  and  providing  policy  recommendations 
  (MAR2PROTECT,  NINFA, 
UPWATER, H2OforAll, intoDBP, SafeCREW, ToDrinQWATERPROTECT, NIAGARA, 
D4RUNOFF, LIFE ELEKTRA, LIFE PRISTINE, LIFE CASCADE).  

A  specific,  cross-cutting  focus  will  address  ocean  pollution.  Air,  freshwater  and 
soil pollution ends up in the ocean, as the pervasive problem of marine litter shows. 
Building  on  the  source-to-sea  approach48  set  out  in  the  European  Water  Resilience 
Strategy  and  the  European  Ocean  Pact,  the  revision  of  the  Marine  Strategy 
Framework  Directive  together  with  the  proposal  for  an  Ocean  Act  will  review  the 
legal framework to make it more effective and simplify it in order to better achieve, 
among  other  things,  a  clean  and  healthy  marine  environment.  The  2030  zero 
pollution  targets,  and  the  overarching  2050  vision,  complementary  to  the  climate-
neutrality  and  biodiversity  goals,  will  guide  this  revision  process.  Member  States 
need  to  do  more  to  monitor  and  ensure  the  quality  of  areas  where  fishing  and 
shellfish farming takes place, since water pollution leads to significant losses for this 
sector. 

Clean ocean - zero marine pollution 
Ocean are polluted, and litter is one of the most visible problems. But regulation is starting 
to make a difference. The JRC’s EU Coastline Macro Litter Trend report showed that the 
amount of marine macro litter on the EU coastline had dropped by 29% as a result of EU 
legislation. Several projects play an important part in helping to clean up the European sea 
regions such the North-East Atlantic (Free LitterAT), the Baltic (Circular Ocean), and the 
Mediterranean  (Marine  Litter  MED  PLUS).  Aquaculture  needs  clean  water  or  helps  to 
clean  water,  but  it  can  also  be  a  source  of  pollution.  Innovative  technologies  can  create 
business  opportunities  whilst  reducing  the  environmental  impact  of  aquaculture  and 
helping  to  contribute  to  bioremediation  (Baltic  MUPPETS,  OLAMUR,  ASTRAL, 
REMEDIA LIFE). Earth observation is playing an increasing role in preventing pollution. 

46  See Art. 4.1 in proposal for the new Common Agriculture Policy, COM(2025) 560 
47   Water - Research and innovation 
48  EEA (2023): ‘From source to sea — The untold story of marine litter’ 

7 

 
 
 
 
Copernicus data are being used to optimise ship routes, thereby reducing fuel consumption 
and pollution and preventing accidental pollution incidents increasing efficiency and safety 
for  ship  owners  and  port  authorities,  including  insurance  companies  (OHB  LuxSpace, 
SeaCras, EOMAP). In the field of civil protection ongoing projects address long-term risk 
analysis for oil and hazardous substances pollution from shipping accidents to the marine 
environment in the Baltic Sea (BRISK II) and impacts and response options regarding low 
sulphur marine fuel oil spills (IMAROS II). 

In terms of plastics and waste pollution, several revised pieces of EU law on waste 
will  contribute  to  zero  pollution  (for  example  the  new  Ecodesign  for  Sustainable 
Products  Regulation,  the  revised  Waste  Framework  Directive,  the  new  Waste 
Shipment  Regulation,  the  Single-use  Plastics  Directive,  the  new  Packaging  and 
Packaging Waste Regulation and the new Plastic Pellet Regulation). To complement 
these  actions,  the  Commission  has  published  the  Bioeconomy  Strategy49  and  is 
working  on  the  Circular  Economy  Act  that  will  support  the  key  pillars  of  the 
Competitiveness Compass. 

In terms of noise pollution, actions are underway50 to improve the road worthiness 
of the EU vehicle fleet  with  the aim  of also  addressing noise from  those modes of 
transport.  As  for  railways,  the  introduction  of  quiet  freight  wagons  to  operate 
exclusively on “quieter routes”51 has been a major step towards reducing noise in the 
sector.  Future  amendments  to  this  Regulation  are  expected  by  2029.  The 
Commission will also assess the feasibility of introducing EU noise-reduction targets 
and limits in the Environmental Noise Directive in line with the European Court of 
Auditors’ recommendations52.  

Environment and health policies are closely intertwined – applying One Health 
in practice. The environmental and climate dimension in the One Health approach 
are  critical  due  to  their  role  in  mediating  health  outcomes  and  influencing  the 
emergence  and  spread  of  diseases  in  animals  and  humans.  The  Commission  will 
continue  to  focus  on  preventive  health  building  on  the  successful  example  of  the 
Beating  Cancer  Action  Plan  and  new  EU  Cardiovascular  Health  Plan.  The 
Commission  is  also  increasing  efforts  to  introduce  a  One  Health  governance53  and 
ensure that environmental considerations are incorporated into EU initiatives aimed 
at preventing non-communicable diseases54. 

Healthier environment – zero air and noise pollution 
Clean  air  and  quiet  areas  are  a  major  factor  in  healthy  living.  Many  projects  have 
demonstrated how regional air quality can be improved (LIFE Małopolska, LIFE Prepair, 
LIFE  Sirius)  and  that  clean  urban  environments  are  beneficial  to  well-being,  including 
cardiovascular,  respiratory  and mental  health.  (eMOTIONAL  Cities,  EXPANSE, 
LongITools)and.  They  also  show  how  extreme  heat  can  exacerbate  air  pollution 
(EXHAUSTION) and how urban greening reduces these effects whilst creating a business 
case for planting new trees (100KTREES, LIFE AIRFRESH).   

49   COM(12025) 960 
50  See updated rules for safer roads, less air pollution and digital vehicle documents 
51 

In  accordance  with  the  amendment  to  Regulation  (EU)  1304/2014  (TSI  Noise)  or  recently  the 
agreement on CountEmissionsEU 

52  ECA special report 02/2025: Urban pollution in the EU–Cities have cleaner air but are still too noisy   
53   Scientific Advice Mechanism: “One Health governance in the EU” 
54   Council Recommendation 2023/C 220/01 

8 

 
 
 
 
Mixtures  of  pollutants  including  emerging  ones,  such  as  endocrine  disruptors 
increasing  concern.  Human 
and  pharmaceuticals,  are  becoming  an 
biomonitoring  is  showing  examples  of  effects  of  multiple  chemicals  on  human 
health55 and some reports show that the effects of exposure to certain chemicals can 
have  significant  health  costs56.  At  the  same  time,  these  data  show  that  effective 
regulation  reduces  the  exposure  and  can  lead  to  measurable  improvements  within 
short  time  frames.  Certain  hazardous  chemicals  are  also  affecting  biodiversity 
wildlife57.  Since  2019,  the  Strategic  Approach  for  Pharmaceuticals  in  the 
Environment58  introduced  a  more  holistic  approach  to  deal  with  the  presence  of 
pharmaceuticals  in  the  environment.  Measures  to  prevent  emissions  of  hazardous 
chemicals upstream can reduce remediation costs, e.g. for water treatment.  

Cleaner environment - zero pollution from pharmaceuticals 
More innovative approaches are emerging to minimizing environmental footprint by  using 
cutting-edge technologies to detoxify pharmaceutical wastewater by more than 80% using 
an  economically  viable  and  cost-effective  method  (LIFE  PHARMA-DETOX).  Also,  the 
RECOPHARMA  project,  has  developed  advanced  water  treatment  solutions  that  are 
versatile, fast, efficient and low-cost.  

Legacy and persistent pollution, the underestimated problem. Despite growing 
awareness  of  the  risks  and  high  environmental  concentrations  of  ‘forever’ 
chemicals59,  the  full  magnitude  and  the  serious  consequences  of  widespread 
pollution  from  per-and  polyfluoroalkyl  substances  (PFAS)  and  other  persistent 
chemicals  are  only  beginning  to  be  understood.  In  particular,  the  widespread 
appearance  of  trifluoroacetate  (TFA)60,  a  common  degradation  product  of  some 
PFAS, has not yet been adequately addressed by the Zero Pollution Monitoring and 
Outlook. However, recent decisions on water pollutants61, the restriction of PFAS in 
firefighting foams62 and upcoming work under chemicals (including the work on the 
‘PFAS universal restriction’)63 and other, recently agreed legislation will shed more 
light  on  the  scale  and  extent  of  the  problem  across  the  EU.  Regarding  PFAS  in 
drinking  water,  the  Commission  has  signed  an  agreement  with  the  World  Health 
Organisation (WHO)64 to assess the most recent scientific evidence on the potential 
health  effects  of  relevant  PFAS,  including  TFA,  in  drinking  water.  At  the  same 

55  EEA (2025): Risks of chemical mixtures for human health in Europe 
56   E.g. HEAL (2025): Chemical pollution driving men’s health crisis; “The health and economic burden 

is significant: the related costs are estimated to exceed €15 billion annually.“ 

57  EEA  (2025):  Mixtures  of  chemicals  in  Europe’s  rivers  and  lakes  and  Saskia  Finckh  et  al.  (2022): 
“Endocrine disrupting chemicals entering European rivers: Occurrence and adverse mixture effects in 
treated wastewater” (as well as Pistocchi, A. et al. (2022): “European scale assessment of the potential 
of ozonation and activated carbon treatment to reduce micropollutant emissions with wastewater”  

58  COM(2019)  128, 

for  more 

information:  https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/water/surface-

water_en 

59  See Zero pollution monitoring and outlook 2025; and EEA Signals: (1) Treatment of drinking water to 
remove PFAS, (2) PFAS contamination and soil remediation and (3) Leachate pollution from landfills  
60  A proposal was submitted to ECHA in April 2025 for harmonised classification of TFA as Reprotox 

1B and persistent, mobile and toxic or very persistent and very mobile (PMT/vPvM).  

61  Water pollution: Council and Parliament reach provisional deal to update priority substances in surface 

and ground waters 

62  Commission restricts the use of ‘forever chemicals' in firefighting foams 
63  ECHA (2025): Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) 
64  WHO/ENV contribution agreement “Assessing health effects of PFAS in drinking water” 

9 

 
 
 
 
time, a study65 is ongoing to analyse treatment techniques and their related costs for 
PFAS  (including  TFA)  removal  from  drinking  water.  A  study  on  PFAS  in  waste 
streams  is  also  ongoing  taking  account  the  ban  on  PFAS  in  packaging  and 
packaging waste66. Based on this, the Commission will consider the best course of 
action.  Moreover,  actions  on  PFAS  mitigation,  remediation  and  support  for 
alternatives  announced  in  the  Chemicals  Industry  Action  Plan67  and  the  European 
Water Resilience Strategy68 will tackle the issue holistically in partnership with all 
those concerned. 

Cleaning up the environment - zero pollution through remediation 
Preventing pollution must be the priority but it is not always possible to do so. Innovative 
and cost effective ways of detecting and remediating persistent and mobile pollutants such 
as  PFAS  are  increasingly  available  on  the  market  (SCENARIOS,  ZeroPM,  LIFE 
SOuRCE,  CHROMOFORA  and  PROMISCES).  Nature-based  solutions  can  also  help 
reduce  nutrient  pollution  or  remove  historical  metal  pollution  in  river  sediment  and 
soils (LIFE NARMENA, LIFE BELINI, LIFE POPWAT). Nature-based solutions for soil 
remediation  are  increasingly  innovative  reducing  pollution  but  also  cutting  the  costs  of 
decontamination (POSIDON, ARAGON, EDAPHOS). 

The European Environment Agency and the Joint Research Centre will continue to 
update  the  Zero  Pollution  Monitoring  and  Outlook69  every  two  years.  Future 
editions  will  increasingly  benefit  from  the  recently  agreed  ‘One  Substance,  One 
Assessment’ legislative framework. It will help improve data collection, integrated 
analysis and early warning of chemical pollution as well as setting up a permanent 
EU-wide  human  biomonitoring  exercise  to  provide  a  valuable  dataset.  The 
monitoring  and  outlook  assessment  will  maintain  its  focus  to  track  progress 
reaching  2030 targets,  but  upcoming editions will project  progress  up to 2040 and 
2050  and  review  the  existing  targets  from  a  scientific  perspective  to  determine 
whether more stringent or additional targets are needed for 2040. The Zero Pollution 
Monitoring  and  Outlook  work  will  also  be  more  closely  aligned  with  ongoing  or 
planned national  monitoring.  Integrating data and assessments, such  as  those from 
Copernicus,  can  also  help  simplification  by  using  digital  tools  and  artificial 
intelligence  to  harvest  publicly  available  data  rather  than  exclusively  requiring 
Member States to report. 

Through  the  zero  pollution  policy  agenda,  the  Commission  will  seek  potential  for 
the reduction of administrative and regulatory burden. This will not only guide 
the  legislative  revisions,  such  as  the  revision  of  the  REACH  Regulation  or  the 
revision  of  the  Marine  Strategy  Framework  Directive,  but  also  the  work  on 
delegated  and  implementing  acts.  The  Chemicals  and  Environment  Omnibus70 
proposals have also identified some simplification measures linked to zero-pollution 
work.  The  Commission  will  continue  to  stress-test  the  EU  law  also  from  a  zero-

65  Contract “Analysis of treatment techniques: removal of specific pollutants and feasibility assessment 

of an EPR system for PFAS”  

66  Regulation (EU) 2025/40 
67  COM(2025) 530 
68  COM(2025) 280 
69 
70  COM(2025) 526 & 531 and COM(2025) 980, 981, 982, 983, 984, 985 & 986  

Implemented in close coordination with the EU indicator framework for chemicals 

10 

 
 
 
 
pollution  perspective,  through,  for  example,  a  few  upcoming  evaluations  and 
dialogues. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
The Commission will  
-    continue supporting cities and regions in their zero pollution actions, 
-    revise  the  REACH  Regulation  to  simplify  and  update  it,  while  ensuring 

protection of the environment and human health, 

-    evaluate the Nitrates Directive and the Single-use Plastics Directive,  
-    present  a  holistic  livestock  strategy  and  publish  a  report  on  industrial 

emissions in accordance with Article 73 of the IED [by 2026] 

-    assess  the  feasibility  of  introducing  EU  noise-reduction  targets  and  noise 

limits in the Environmental Noise Directive [by 2029] 

-    implement the pollution-related actions in the Water Resilience Strategy and 

Ocean Pact, 

-    implement  the  PFAS-related  actions  announced  in  the  Chemicals  Industry 

Action Plan, 

-   help implement the EU Cardiovascular Health Plan and the Beating Cancer 

Action Plan through zero pollution action, 

-   publish a staff working document on the environmental performance of EU 
aquaculture  [by  2026]  and  on  promoting  aquaculture’s  environmental 
benefits  [by  2027],  give  related  training  to  Member  States  and  the 
aquaculture industry.  

4  SUPPORTING THE ZERO POLLUTION TRANSITION 

The  Commission  will  continue  to  help  Member  States  with  their  implementation 
efforts,  focusing  on  key  enablers:  integration,  investments  and  innovation.  The 
Commission  will  also  continue  to  promote  international  cooperation  on  pollution 
prevention  and  reduction,  engaging  in  both  multilateral  and  bilateral  international 
cooperation efforts.   

4.1 

Implementation, investments and integration to boost change 

Implementation  must  be  the  priority.  The  latest  Environmental  Implementation 
Review (EIR)71  -  a  periodic  report  on  the  state  of  implementation  of  EU 
environmental law and policies - identifies the policy areas with key challenges of 
implementing  EU  environmental  legislation  namely:  the  circular  economy  and 
waste;  zero  pollution  including  chemicals;  nature  and  biodiversity;  and  climate 
action.  It  identifies  good  practices  and  challenges  in  the  Member  States.  It 
recommends  improvements  and solutions  as well as "priority  actions"72.  The  2025 
EIR 
the  difference  between  good 
implementation  and  poor  implementation.  These  are:  (1)  the  integration  of 
environmental objectives into public policies, through political dialogue and on the 
financing;  (3) 
sharing 
administrative capacity, especially to ensure proper planning and coordination; (4) 
digital  data;  and  (5)  the  role  of  public  participation  in  environmental  decision-
making alongside better access to justice and means of redress.  

implementation  cost  among  stakeholders;  (2) 

identifies  five  key  factors 

that  make 

the 

71  COM(2025) 420, more information: Environmental Implementation Review 
72  Out  of  the  96  priority  actions  recommended  to  the  Member  States,  36  concern  pollution-related 

legislation (see Annex 1 of COM(2025) 420) 

12 

 
 
 
 
to  play 

in  environmental 

All stakeholders – from the Commission to Member States, including regional 
and local authorities, the private sector, and civil society and households – have 
a  role 
implementation.  To  support  better 
implementation  and  enforcement,  the  Commission  will  carry  out  implementation 
dialogues73  based  on 
the  country-specific  assessments  and  priority  action 
recommendations  in  the  EIR  and  in  policy-specific  assessments74.  The  Zero 
Pollution Stakeholder Platform will also play an important role as it is co-chaired 
with  the Committee of the Regions discusses  in  particular  regional and local  level 
implementation  challenges75.  Furthermore, 
the  dialogues  with  stakeholders 
including  businesses  and  civil  society  will  continue  and  revolve  around  ‘reality 
checks’  of  whether  EU  legislation  can  be  applied  effectively  in  practice.  The 
Commission will also continue to support the Member States by providing technical 
frameworks 
capacity  and 
complemented, where appropriate, by enforcement actions. The LIFE programme, 
the  EU  funding  instrument  for  environment,  climate  action  and  clean  energy 
transition,  has  helped  close  the  implementation  gap,  by  providing  targeted  co-
financing  and  technical  assistance  to  support  specific  measures  (for  example  on 
wastewater, 
the  management  of 
chemicals),  strengthening  administrative  capacity  and  digital  tools,  and  catalysing 
multi‑level governance. 

industrial  and  agricultural  emissions,  and 

funding76,  as  well  as 

simplifying 

regulatory 

A key enabler for implementation is financing. The 2025 EIR presents a detailed 
analysis  of  investment  needs  for,  and  gaps  in,  the  implementation  of  EU 
environmental law amounting to EUR 122 billion per year in the EU, i.e. 0.8% of 
the  EU  GDP77.  A  recent  study78  shows  that  the  cost  of  inaction  far  outweighs  the 
cost  of  investment,  with  an  estimated  implementation  gap  of  EUR  180  billion  per 
year,  much  more  than  the  cost  of  closing  the  implementation  gap.  The  estimated 
investment  gaps  for  pollution  prevention  and  control  as  well  as  water  protection 
(largely  linked  to  water  and  wastewater  infrastructure)  is  EUR  58  billion  per  year 
(or 48% of the total  gap).  EU funding plays an important  role in  helping to  close 
implementation  gaps.  For  example,  in  the  recent  mid-term  review  of  cohesion 
policy79,  the  Commission  proposed  additional  measures  to  encourage  Members 
States and regions to invest in water resilience. The agreed Regulation80 includes an 
additional 10% of EU financing and a maximum of 20% of prefinancing for water 
resilience investments, including investments to help reduce water pollution.  

In particular the structured dialogues announced in the context of the Water Resilience Strategy.  

73 
74  COM(2025) 2, COM(2025) 3 and related SWDs 
75   Zero Pollution Going Local | European Committee of the Regions 
76  E.g. through the TAIEX EIR Peer-to-Peer support, the Technical Support Instrument in the context of 
the  European  Semester  or  the  EIB  Water  Programme  and  Sustainable  Water  Advisory  Facility 
announced in the European Water Resilience Strategy.  

77  COM(2025)  420  and  EIR  dashboard:  https://environment.ec.europa.eu/app/eir-dashboard-on-

environmental-investment-needs-and-gaps 

78  Update of the costs of not implementing EU environmental law 
79  A modernised Cohesion policy: The mid-term review 
80  Regulation (EU) 2025/1914 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Cleaner environment – zero pollution financing  
EU  investments  have  contributed  directly  or  indirectly  to  actions  linked  to  achieving  the 
clean  air  objective81.  EU  funding  has  been  made  available  to  and  successfully  used  by 
Member  States  by  directly  supporting  clean  air  projects  or  incorporating  clean  air 
objectives  in  other  investments  (such  as  infrastructure).  Since  2007,  the  EU  has  invested 
EUR  84  per  person  in  large  water  infrastructure.  The  investments  in  central  and  eastern 
European  regions  have  been  much  higher,  ranging  from  EUR  100  to  over  EUR  300  per 
person. This has led to significant pollution reductions and thereby improvements in water 
quality.  The  dashboard  ‘Towards  zero  pollution  in  regions’  gives  an  overview  of  these 
improvements.   

EU  funding  for  a  cleaner  environment  will  also  be  available  in  the  future. 
Under  the  proposals  for  the  new  Multi-annual  Financial  Framework82,  zero 
pollution-related investments are part of the 35% target for climate and environment 
spending.  This  offers  the  potential  for  continued  and  even  stronger  synergies 
between  spending  on  climate  neutrality  and/or  biodiversity  protection  and  on  zero 
pollution.  The  proposed  European  Competitiveness  Fund  and  the  proposed 
European  Fund  for  Economic,  Social  and  Territorial  Cohesion,  Agriculture, 
and  Rural,  Fisheries,  and  Maritime  Prosperity  and  Security  under  which 
Member  States  should  prepare  National  and  Regional  Partnership  Plans  will 
contribute  to  protecting,  restoring  and  improving  the  quality  of  the  environment, 
including freshwater, the coast, the ocean and soil, to reducing pollution, to halting 
and reversing biodiversity loss and tackling the degradation of terrestrial and marine 
ecosystems,  while  increasing  climate  and  water  resilience.  Horizon  Europe 
proposals for the period 2028-2034 pointed out that the integration of environmental 
science into activities is necessary to prevent damage to the environment, to keep it 
clean and to restore healthy ecosystems. It also identified ’Towards zero pollution of 
water  in  the  EU’  as  one  of  the  possible  moonshot  areas.  Also,  the  Common 
Agricultural Policy, the Common Fisheries Policy and the European Maritime, 
Fisheries and  Aquaculture Fund  and the  Regional  Development and Cohesion 
Funds will continue to contribute to achieving zero pollution.  

As EU funding is not enough, substantial national funding is also needed. In this 
context,  Member  States  should  make  better  use  of  taxes,  extended  producer 
responsibility  schemes,  and  other  mechanisms  to  better  implement  the  polluter-
pays  principle.  The  Member  States  currently  do  not  make  much  use  of 
environmental taxation83. The 2025 EIR and the 2024 European Semester package84 
recommend  reforming  environmentally  harmful  subsidies  (EHS).  Member  States 
may also consider how to guide businesses’ and consumers’ choices while bringing 
in tax revenue that could be used to address the investment gap. The Fitness Check 
of  the  Polluter  Pays  Principle  provides  some  valuable  insights  into  what  has 
worked and finds that making the polluter pay is a highly effective way of providing 
price  signals  that  make  environmental  policy  more  efficient  provided  the  just 

81   clean-air tracking 
82  EU budget 2028-2034 for a stronger Europe (COM(2025) 555, 565, 543, 560, 559 & 552) 
83  E.g. see “2025 Annual Report on Taxation“ 
84  2024 European Semester: Spring package 

14 

 
 
 
 
transition,  competitiveness, food security and overhead costs  are properly factored 
into its design. 

Unlocking private investments will be essential to scale up the clean transition. 
The  Commission  is  cooperating  with  the  European  Investment  Bank  (EIB) 
Group  to  step up public and private investments  in  the environment  (for example 
under the Water Resilience Strategy) both in the EU and globally. Cooperation with 
financial  institutions  can  leverage  more  private  financing  through  blended  finance 
approaches and innovative models such as structured ecosystems for green and blue 
bonds.  The  simplified  EU  sustainable  finance  framework  and  the  rolling  out  of 
the Savings and Investment Union also aim to increase funding opportunities for 
EU businesses. Figures show that the EU taxonomy for sustainable finance is being 
taken  up  by  an  increasing  number  of  investors  in  some  sectors85.  The  Clean 
Industrial  Deal  will 
investment  by  strengthening 
the Innovation  Fund and  proposing  an industrial  decarbonisation  bank.  The 
Omnibus  II  Regulation  will  amend  the InvestEU Regulation  to  increase  the 
amount of financial guarantees that InvestEU can provide to support investments for 
the  deployment  of  clean  tech,  clean  mobility,  waste  prevention,  reduction  and 
recycling. These efforts will inevitably create co-benefits for zero pollution. As part 
of  the  Water  Resilience  Strategy,  the  Commission  will  also  establish  a  Water 
Resilience Investment Accelerator and launch a Green and Blue corridors initiative 
to support the restoration. This will support investment in cleaner waters.  

further  mobilise clean 

Integration must go faster and further.  Implementation experience shows that it 
is  crucial  to  ensure  sufficient  integration  of  environmental  policy  into  the 
development  and  execution  of  public  policies,  upstream  and  in  a  systematic  and 
cross-cutting  way.  It  is  also  crucial  to  account  for  the  implications  of  the 
environment  for  public  policies,  the  budget  and the  economy.  This  is  why  a  more 
integrated, holistic approach – for example, bringing together authorities in different 
policy areas or regions – tends to produce better results in the long term and to be 
more  inclusive,  consistent,  effective  and  efficient.  This  is  why  the  2021  Zero 
Pollution Action Plan set out the flagship ‘Enforcing zero pollution together’86, with 
initial work undertaken in cooperation with the EU Network for the Implementation 
and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL). This will continue in 2026. The 
structured dialogues envisaged for the implementation of water legislation will seek 
to involve all relevant parts of the national (and regional) governments.  

Cleaner transport – zero pollution mobility   
Decarbonising  transport  also  brings  benefits  in  terms  of  air  quality  and  noise.  Market-
ready  prototypes  for  detecting  noisy  and  polluting  vehicles  and  helping  reduce  pollution 
through multifunctional barrier and specialized pavements (NEMO). Better urban planning 
and  organisation  of  last  mile  logistics  also  helps  reduce  CO2,  air  pollution  and  noise 
(SENATOR, LIFE ASPIRE). Innovative emission reduction techniques and fuels in inland 
waterway  transport  help  reduce  air  pollution  and  greenhouse  gas  emissions  in  real-life 
conditions (LIFE CLINSH). 

85  The EU Taxonomy’s uptake on the ground  
86 

“bring  together  environmental  and  other  enforcement  authorities  (e.g.  those  in  charge  of  EU 
transport,  energy,  agriculture  or  consumer  protection  legislation)  to  kick  off  the  exchange  of  best 
practices  and  encourage  Member  States  to  devise  cross-sectorial  compliance  actions  towards  zero 
tolerance for pollution at national level and transboundary level.” 

15 

 
 
 
 
Cleaner agriculture – zero pollution farming 
Changing  agricultural  practices  can  significantly  reduce  pollution.  Air  pollution  from 
intensive  meat  (pig  &  poultry)  and  dairy  farming  can  be  reduced  with  innovative 
technologies and management practices such as separating waste streams and using robots, 
reducing emissions and transforming stored manure into a commercial fertiliser  making it 
possible  to  close  a  farm’s  nitrogen  cycle  (LIFE  CMCD,  LIFE  Green  Ammonia,  LIFE 
Clean Air Farming, Econutri, SOLACE). Moreover, the Commission is also preparing an 
Action plan for fertilisers, which will amongst others look into the efficient use of fertilisers 
and recycled nutrients which will in turn benefit efforts to reduce pollution from fertiliser 
use. Innovative transition pathways towards more sustainable plant protection can reduce 
crop  protection  costs,  while  reducing  pesticide  pollution  of  air,  water  and  soil  and 
producing  healthier  foods  (SPRINT).  By  working  with  farmers  and  organisations  to 
identify sustainable practices to manage micro- and nano-plastics,  it has been possible to 
simultaneously  improve  the  environment  and  agricultural  productivity  (PAPILLONS, 
MINAGRIS).   
Cleaner living – zero pollution building 
Urban development with a clean and circular infrastructure can reduce greenhouses gases, 
minimise waste and promote sustainable consumption while lowering pollution. By using a 
sorted ‘three pipes’ sewage system, it enables water and waste recycling and the retrieval 
of energy and nutrients (RecoLab). Using natural materials and developing a digital twin 
of buildings, equipped with sensors to monitor vital parameters  such as  moisture content, 
will  enable  predictive  maintenance  and  give  an  indication  of  the  effects  of  technical 
alterations on the building’s performance (Build-in-Wood).  

The Commission will  
-   address country-specific pollution challenges in the structured dialogues with 

all Member States announced in the Water Resilience Strategy, 

-   together with IMPEL, continue the exchange of best practices and encourage 

cross-sectorial compliance actions.  

4.2 

Innovation and skills to strengthen competitiveness  

Innovation is driving the clean transition. In the current economic crisis, it will be 
important to provide targeted support to industry to stay cost-competitive and keep 
critical production in the EU. Simplifying the regulatory framework will be crucial 
to  keep  the  EU  attractive  for  companies.  However,  as  mentioned  in  the 
Competitiveness  Compass,  the  root  cause  for  the  current  crisis  is  a  lack  of 
innovation during the past two decades. Carefully designed measures to promote the 
transition  to  a  clean  and  circular  economy  model  can  not  only  contribute  to 
protecting human health and the environment, but also create the necessary business 
opportunities for innovative and future oriented technology  to  strengthen the EU’s 
long-term  global  competitiveness.  The  Clean  Industrial  Deal  are  supporting  this 
innovation drive through financing (through the Innovation Fund and InvestEU) or 
specific  initiatives  such  as  the  EU  Startup  and  Scaleup  Strategy87.  In  terms  of 
pollution,  the  new  Innovation  Centre  on  Industrial  Transformation  and  Emissions 
(INCITE)88 will identify and evaluate the maturity level of innovative techniques to 

87  COM(2025) 270 
88  Established in the context of the revised Industrial Emissions Directive (EU) 2024/1785, see European 

Innovation Centre for Industrial Transformation and Emissions | INCITE 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
showcase  their  potential  and  promote  their  uptake  on  a  larger  scale.  INCITE  will 
also  analyse  the  decarbonisation,  resource  efficiency,  including  energy,  raw 
materials and water, less and safer use of hazardous chemicals and circular economy 
potential  of  innovative  technologies  in  a  360°  environmental  assessment.  Inspired 
by  INCITE,  the  Commission  will  also  create  ‘EU  Innovation  and  Substitution 
Hub(s)’89 to  overcome innovation  barriers  and accelerate the development  of safer 
and more sustainable solutions with specific attention to the needs of SMEs. It will 
also explore collaborative approaches to the substitution of targeted chemicals. The 
‘Safe and Sustainable by Design’ (SSbD) chemicals framework90 will be embedded 
in  the  innovation  hubs,  providing  technical  guidance  on  the  early  stages  of 
innovation.  

land 

filling  and  pollution 

Cleaner products and processes - zero pollution innovations 
Bioeconomy  innovations  such  as  biodegradable  plastic  packaging,  absorbent  hygiene 
products or bio-based alternatives for food trays as well as new networking models along 
the whole plastic value-chain in the agri-food sector significantly reduce plastic waste and 
(Circpack,  EMBRACED,  FRESH,  LIFE 
thereby 
CLOOVER2). An innovative textile practice turns old cotton textiles into sustainable, high-
quality  fibre  using  less-polluting  chemicals  (TeKiDe).   Innovation  practices  in  recycling 
hazardous  waste  electrical  and  electronic  equipment  (WEEE)  make  it  possible  to  safely 
recover clean polymers, bromine, and antimony trioxide from plastics, supporting a closed-
loop  recycling  system  thereby  helping  to  reduce  EU’s  dependence  on  imported  antimony 
(PLAST2bCLEANED). Innovative technologies recover resources from wastewater (such 
as  biofertilisers,  cellulose,  bioplastics,  biomethane  and  a  variety  of  food  and  drink 
additives)  significantly  reducing  the  operating  costs  and  environmental  impact  of 
wastewater  treatment  facilities  and  in  turn  create  new  business  opportunities  and  jobs 
(AFTERLIFE,  INCOVER,  SMART-Plant,  LIFE  ENRICH,  24Water). Innovative 
generators in construction and urban green care reduce emissions while providing smaller, 
lighter,  and  more  powerful,  portable  power  supplies  that  attract  significant  amounts  of 
funding  from  private  investors  (LIFE  CLEANAIRMM). Innovative  propulsion  systems 
offer cleaner, more circular satellite launching technologies (HyImpulse, Pangea). 

EU  research  and  innovation  has  been  underpinning  this  transition  for  many 
years  and  will  continue  to  do  so.  Traditionally,  environmental  research  and 
demonstration projects on pollution prevention, control and remediation have been 
priorities of EU research and LIFE programmes.  

Over  the  course  of  the  current  Multi-annual  Financial  Framework,  the  EU  has 
increased its support through Horizon Europe and LIFE funding programmes. For 
research  and  innovation,  a  specific  destination  ‘Clean  environment  and  zero 
pollution’  with  the  dedicated  instruments  such  as  the  EU  missions91  and 
partnerships92,  are  particularly  impactful,  as  well  as  the  destination  ‘Living  and 
working  in  a  health  promoting  environment’  which  addresses  the  impacts  of 
environmental  exposures  on  human  health.  Research  and  innovation  tackling 
pollution is also incorporated into the whole programme.  

89  COM(2025) 530 
90   Safe and Sustainable by Design for Chemicals and Materials. Revised Framework (2025). JRC143022 

(in press). 

91    ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’, and ‘Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities’ 
92  Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC) or Water4All–Water Security for the 

Planet 

17 

 
 
 
 
Many Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects have and continue to support 
the  zero  pollution efforts93,  particularly  disease  prevention  and  health  promotion, 
water use and management, air, freshwater and soil quality, protection of the marine 
environment,  the  development  of  safe  and  sustainable  by  design  chemicals  and 
materials,  circularity,  agriculture,  food  systems  (including  through  the  Food  2030 
initiative  and  the  zero  pollution  food  systems  pathway),  industrial  innovation,  the 
bioeconomy,  transport,  energy,  environmental  monitoring  and  observation.  The 
environmental co-benefits of research and innovation in climate action often result 
in  pollution  prevention  and  reduction,  thereby  protecting  biodiversity  and  natural 
ecosystems.  An  example  is  a  dedicated  2024  call  under  the  EU  mission  ‘Climate-
Neutral and Smart Cities’ focusing on creating zero pollution cities, which attracted 
over 100 proposals94.  

The LIFE programme continue to be drivers of the demonstration, deployment and 
policy uptake of clean solutions across Member States. LIFE complements Horizon 
Europe  by  de‑risking  near‑to‑market  solutions  and  supporting  their  uptake  by 
authorities,  utilities  and  SMEs.  Through  pilots  and  large‑scale  demonstrations,  the 
improvement  of  governance,  capacity‑building,  and  targeted  policy  support,  LIFE 
helps  turn  green  innovation  into  replicable,  investable  zero‑pollution  practices 
across the EU and its neighbourhood. Since 2014, more than 170 LIFE projects with 
EUR  400  million  of  EU  financing  have  tackled  air,  water  and  soil,  pollution 
delivering  measurable  results  on  the  ground  and  feeding  into  EU  legislation  and 
standards95. Also, in the future, EU financing will play an important role as all key 
LIFE features are included in the European Competitiveness Fund proposal. 

A  key  future  innovation  topic  will  be  the  remediation  of  historic  and  legacy 
pollution.  Water  and  soil  monitoring  show  the  high  number  of  pollution  hotspots 
across  the  EU96.  The  implementation  of  the  new  Soil  Monitoring  Law  and  the 
Nature  Restoration  Regulation  will  go  some  way  towards  addressing  this.  In  this 
context,  nature-based  solutions  and  bioremediation  have  the  potential  to  provide 
cost-effective  solutions.  The  public-private  initiative  to  achieve  a  technological 
breakthrough in  feasible and affordable methods for the detection and remediation 
of  PFAS  and  other  persistent  chemicals  will  aim  to  promote  the  development  of 
such solutions97.  

Digital solutions for zero pollution exist98 but barriers to their deployment need 
to be overcome. The European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) has issued some 
recommendations99  on  living  labs  for  zero  pollution  which  can  help  increase  the 
uptake  of  digital  solutions.  New  opportunities  arise  from  combining  data,  for 
example  from  earth  observation,  with  artificial  intelligence  and  modelling.  New 
Copernicus  Sentinel  satellites  will  provide  more  accurate  and  timely  data,  on  air 

93  Horizon projects supporting the Zero Pollution Action Plan 
94  Although it was only able to fund four selected projects with a total of EUR 20 million 
95  LIFE Project Portfolio - Overview (2014 onwards) 
96  Zero pollution monitoring and outlook 2025 
97  The  initiative will be  supported by research projects,  e.g. the  EU Mission “A  Soil Deal  for Europe” 

(2025 call, of dedicated living labs for soil remediation).  

98  SWD(2021) 140 
99  2023 ENoLL Recommendations  

18 

 
 
 
 
quality and emissions for example. Destination Earth100 and , in close synergy with 
the upcoming Ocean Observation Initiative and Ocean Act, the Digital Twin of the 
Ocean  aim  to  support  such  cutting-edge  tools  to,  among  other  things,  address 
pollution related matters. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) 
is  also  contributing  to  work in  this  area,  with  marine pollution models  used in  the 
Zero Pollution Outlook.  

Cleaner environment - zero pollution through earth observation and digital twins 
Copernicus, the earth observation component of the EU’s space programme, has enabled 
the  development  of  several  business  solutions  for  zero  pollution.  Leveraging  earth 
observation,  artificial  intelligence,  and  machine  learning  can  significantly  improve 
environmental  monitoring  of  air,  ocean  and  freshwater  and  soil  quality,  of  land 
degradation  and  deforestation  and  of  supply  chain  impacts  (Orbify).  It  also  enabled  the 
development of a Pollution Crisis Management Platform which monitors rivers, reservoirs, 
and urban zones, helping local authorities track pollution and respond quickly to pollution 
events (Azulfy). Other digital platforms mobilize citizens to identify and report illegal waste 
sites in their communities in real-time helping to raise awareness and support rapid local 
action  (WasteNoTime).  These  tools  also  help  economic  operators  to  move  towards  zero 
pollution.  Smart  farming  applications  can  reduce  pollution  and  save  costs  by  helping 
farmers to match agricultural inputs (fertilisers, pesticides, water) with what crops actually 
needs (SQAT, DINOSAR, TerraMetallum). Optimising the operation of airports and flight 
paths  helps  to  reduce  noise,  fuel  consumption,  and  air  and  greenhouse  gas  emissions 
(EDGAR, VITOLMINS). Services for better geotechnical and environmental monitoring of 
mining  activities  throughout  the  lifecycle  from  exploration  to  closure  help  improve 
operational  safety  and  efficiency,  while  enabling  mining  operators  to  limit  pollution  and 
waste and brining about a more circular use of materials (MOSMIN, TerraEye).  

Digitalisation  relies  on  the  availability  and  useability  of  high-quality  data. 
Several  projects  promote  environmental  data-based  services,  with  an  emphasis  on 
the  importance  of  zero  pollution  for  speeding  up  implementation101.  Numerous 
smart  community  pilots  have  also  been  launched  in  a  bid  to  collect  data  on  zero 
pollution  in  cities102.  A  key  instrument  for  improving  the  availability  of  data  on 
pollution  is  the  new  ‘One  Substance,  One  Assessment’  legal  framework  which 
establishes,  among  other  things,  a  common  data platform103  and  a  ‘one-stop  shop’ 
for accessing data on chemicals. The Commission is also preparing an ‘Action Plan 
for the Digitalisation of the Water sector’ to raise awareness of such developments 
and support them in a more systematic way. Digital tools can also help consumers 
and  citizens  to  make  environmentally  friendly  choices  that  support  the  zero 
pollution  objectives.  Citizens  increasingly  want  to  know  how  clean  the  air  they 
breathe is, or whether certain products contain hazardous chemicals.  

Clean products – making zero pollution choices 
A  number  of user-friendly consumer  apps  make  it  possible  to  identify  products that  avoid 
the use of chemicals with hazardous properties (Yuka, ToxFox, KEMILUPPEN, CheckED 
yourself,  SIN  List).  Some  apps  focus  on  a  range  of  everyday  products  such  as  food 

100  Destination  Earth  (DestinE)  -  digital  model  of  the  earth  and  European  Digital  Twin  of  the  Ocean 

(European DTO)  

101  ‘Data Space for a Sustainable Green Europe’ (SAGE project) or the previous Green Deal Data Space 

GREAT Project 

102  European Data Space for Smart Communities, see StiD, IPPCP and Geo4Water pilots.  
103  Regulation (EU) 2025/2455 

19 

 
 
 
 
products,  cosmetics,  personal  care  products  toys,  furniture,  carpets,  sports  shoes,  textiles 
and electronic devices. Others look at hazardous properties including endocrine disrupting 
chemicals and propose substitution possibilities or make personalised recommendations for 
the home environment, lifestyle, and everyday habits. These apps help innovation and raise 
consumers’ (and consequently businesses’) awareness of undesirable chemicals.  

The shortage of skills and training is holding back the clean transition. There is 
a widespread shortage of green skills, especially in SMEs and in key sectors such as 
construction, transport, waste management, energy and engineering. The digital and 
green transition, driving employment trends until 2035, requires people of all ages 
and across different disciplines to develop new skills104. The lack of green skills in 
the workforce is a growing concern. Training and retraining are still not managing 
to  keep  up  with  demand105.  In  addition  to  general  actions  to  support  green  skills 
though  the  Pact  for  Skills106  (e.g.  the  regional  partnership  led  by  the  European 
Chemical  Regions  Network  under  the  Pact  for  Skills)107,  the  Commission  is 
launching  dedicated  initiatives  in  the  context  of  the  European  Water  Resilience 
Strategy  (such  as  the  Water  Smart  Industrial  Alliance,  and  the  European  Water 
Academy) which will include the skills required for achieving zero pollution.  

Capacities in environmental administrations in the Member States are already 
low,  and  this  situation  will  worsen  unless  action  is  taken.  The  public  sector  is 
facing an ageing workforce and a skills gap, particularly in technical areas such as 
pollution control and water treatment and management and in terms of digital skills. 
The EIR has highlighted that this will be crucial for implementing EU legislation on 
the ground108.  

The Commission will  
-    finance priority projects in the 2026 and 2027 work programmes of Horizon 

Europe and LIFE, 

-   accelerate  and  scale  up  chemical  innovation  using  voluntary  EU  chemicals 

innovation hubs (as set out in the Chemicals Industry Action Plan), 

-    prepare  a  ‘Digitalisation  Action  Plan  for  the  water  sector’  [by  2026]  as 

announced in the European Water Resilience Strategy. 

4.3 

International cooperation - promoting worldwide change for zero pollution  

International  multilateral  efforts  to  move  to  a  pollution-free  world  have  made 
significant  and  steady,  albeit  sometimes  slow,  progress.  A  historic  decision  is  the 
establishment  of  the  Intergovernmental  Science-policy  Panel  on  Chemicals, 
Waste  and  Pollution  (ISPCWP)  in  July  2025.  This,  together  with  recent 
agreements  such  as  the  Global  Framework  for  Chemicals  and  multilateral 

104   CEDEFOP  (2023)  “Skills  in  Transition  –  the  way  to  2035”  and  OECD  (2023) “Assessing  and 
Anticipating Skills for the Green Transition: Unlocking Talent for a Sustainable Future, Getting Skills 
Right”  

105   Employment and Social Developments in Europe (ESDE) 2024 
106  Such as the Council recommendation on Learning for the green transition and sustainable development 
107  Under the Pact for Skills a regional partnership led by the European Chemical Regions Network, has 
as primary commitment to assist regions in navigating the challenges posed by the industry's transition 
to green and digital practices. 

108   COM(2025) 420 

20 

 
 
 
 
environmental agreements (MEAs), further raises the bar in addressing pollution, 
putting addressing it on a par with efforts to address climate change and biodiversity 
loss. Global Plastics Treaty negotiations will continue and the EU will aim for an 
ambitious  agreement  that  goes  beyond  waste  management  to  address  the  full  life 
cycle  of  plastics.  Existing  global  and/or  UNECE  instruments  such  as  the 
Minamata,  Basel,  Rotterdam  and  Stockholm  Conventions  as  well  as  the 
Gothenburg  Protocol  are  being  steadily  implemented,  to  create  a  level  playing 
field for an increasing number of chemicals and pollution sources.  

The Global Biodiversity Framework sets the target of reducing pollution to levels 
that  are  not  harmful  to  biodiversity109.  EU  national  targets  communicated  to  the 
Convention  on  Biological  Diversity  in  2024  to  implement  the  global  biodiversity 
framework build on the Zero Pollution Action Plan. The progress made in reaching 
these  targets  and  measures  taken  to  do  so  will  be  reported  on  by  the  contracting 
parties to the Convention in 2026.  

On air pollution, the Global Methane Pledge110 brings 159 participating countries 
and  the  European  Commission  together  in  pursuit  of  a  goal  to  get  methane 
emissions to 30% below 2020 levels by 2030.  

Cleaner planet – zero pollution through cooperation 
The  Minamata  Convention  has  been  very  successful  in  eliminating  mercury  pollution 
worldwide. In 2023,  the  Conference  of the  Parties  agreed  to  ban  five  mercury-containing 
lamp  categories  as  well  as  batteries,  switches,  relays  and  cosmetics.  In  2025,  it  was 
possible to agree  on a global ban on mercury in dental amalgam. These global decisions 
further support the protection of public health and the environment from the harmful effects 
of mercury.   

The  Commission  will  continue  to  work  with  the  Member  States  so  that  these 
multilateral  agreements  are  implemented  successfully.  In  particular  for  the 
setting up of the ISPCWP, it will be important to make it operational and agree on a 
work  programme  that  matches  its  ambition  and  complements  the  work  of  the 
Intergovernmental  Panels  for  Climate  Change  and  Biodiversity  and  Ecosystem 
Services. A global pollution outlook would be the ideal starting point for identifying 
the scale of and priority areas for global action. The EU will also continue to work 
closely  with  the  neighbours  with  whom  it  shares  a  marine  region111  or 
transboundary rivers. In this context, it is crucial to highlight the EU’s support112 to 
Western Balkans and other enlargement countries, as many of these economies 
have highly polluting industries and under-performing water and waste management 
infrastructures.  These  challenges  also  result  in  transboundary  pollution,  directly 
affecting the ability of neighbouring EU Member States to achieve their targets113.  

109   Target 7 
110  https://www.ccacoalition.org/news/factsheet-2024-global-methane-pledge-ministerial 

using 

the 

Copernicus Methane Hotspot Explorer  

111   See for example Pact for the Mediterranean (JOIN(2025) 26)  
112   COM(2024) 146 
113   See Scenario analysis of PM2.5 and ozone impacts on health, crops and climate with TM5-FASST: A 
case study in the Western Balkans and JRC study which shows that aligning the Western Balkans with 
the Zero Pollution Action Plan’s goals would result in a high benefit–cost ratio, highlighting the need 
to reduce air pollution.  

21 

 
 
 
 
The Commission will also continue to work on pollution prevention and control in 
bilateral  discussions  with  its  partners  around  the  world.  In  this  context,  the  clean 
trade  and  investment  partnerships offer  an  opportunity  to  create  synergies 
between climate and pollution policies.   

The Commission will  
-   continue  to  work  on  the  implementation  of  multilateral  environmental 

agreements (MEAs) that the EU signed up to and  

-   lead  the  way  in  implementing  the  new  Intergovernmental  Science-policy 

Panel on Chemicals, Waste and Pollution.  

5  Conclusions and next steps 

In  May  2021,  the  EU  embarked  on  a  pioneering  journey  towards  zero  pollution 
which contributes to Europe’s long-term sustainable competitiveness and resilience. 
This  mid-term  review  highlights  the  progress  made  towards  reaching  the  2030 
targets, with significant reductions in air pollution, the use of pesticides, and plastic 
pollution  at  sea.  However,  challenges  persist,  particularly  in  waste  management, 
microplastics, noise and nutrient pollution. 

The transition to a zero-pollution economy is both feasible over the long term 
and economically beneficial – if guided by inclusive and forward-looking policies 
and supported by sufficient funding from a range of sources.  

As part of the political agenda for 2024-2029, the Commission will contribute to 
implementing  the  policies  underpinning  the  green  and  digital  transition  in 
which decarbonisation, climate adaptation, circularity, biodiversity protection, water 
resilience  and  zero  pollution  go  hand  in  hand  with  the  One  Health  approach 
supported by a competitive, resilient and inclusive circular economy.  

As  next  steps,  the  Commission  will  focus  on  the  implementation  of  agreed 
legislation and policies including the  Water Resilience Strategy, the Ocean Pact 
and the Chemicals Industry Action Plan.  

The new EU Cardiovascular Health Plan promotes preventive action in line with 
One  Health,  thereby  contributing  to  better  health  outcomes  for  people  and 
ecosystems.  The  EU  Bioeconomy  Strategy  and  the  planned  Circular  Economy 
Act  are  part  of  wider  efforts  to  better  integrate  circularity  principles  into  public 
policies, to ensure a cost-competitive, resource-efficient and fair transition.  

As regards the implementation of the Clean Industrial Deal and Competitiveness 
Compass, the Commission will closely link climate objectives to the co-benefits of 
reducing  pollution,  ensuring  a  toxicity-free  environment,  promoting  sustainable 
economic  growth  and  creating  a  single  market  for  secondary  raw  materials  and 
waste. 

The Commission will take stock of progress  with regular  updates  of the Zero 
Pollution  Monitoring  and  Outlooks  (currently  planned  for  2026  and  2028)  and 
will analyse the possible trajectories for taking the clean transition forward towards 
2040  by  complementing  the  2040  climate  targets  with  realistically  ambitious 
pollution targets, in strong support of its legislative implementation agenda. 

22 

 
 
 
Moving  forward  on  zero  pollution  is  a  vital  step  towards  a  healthier,  more 
future.  By  prioritising  a  clean  and  circular 
sustainable  and  resilient 
competitiveness  and  promoting  eco-friendly  practices,  it  is  possible  to  ensure  a 
resilient and prosperous Europe for generations to come.  

23