REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the exercise of the power to adopt delegated acts conferred on the Commission pursuant to Directive (EU) 2016/2284 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants, amending directive 2003/35/EC and repealing Directive 2001/81/EC
Date: 2026-03-19
Institutions: Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission
Subjects: European Commission, air quality, atmospheric pollutant, delegated legislation, environmental monitoring, environmental protection, pollution control measures, powers of the institutions (EU), reduction of gas emissions

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 19.3.2026  COM(2026) 126 final  REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the exercise of the power to adopt delegated acts conferred on the Commission pursuant to Directive (EU) 2016/2284 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants, amending directive 2003/35/EC and repealing Directive 2001/81/EC      
 
 
1.  Introduction 

Directive  (EU)  2016/2284  on  the  reduction  of  national  emissions  of  certain  atmospheric 
pollutants (the Directive) is one of the legislative instruments that contribute to achieving the 
air quality objectives set out in Union legislation and progress towards the Union’s long-term 
objective of achieving levels of air quality in line with the air quality guidelines of the World 
Health  Organisation.  The  Directive  also  supports  the  Union’s  biodiversity  and  ecosystem 
objectives  and  contributes  to  reaching  the  air  pollution  objectives  set  by  the  zero  pollution 
action plan(1).  

This Directive sets national emission reduction commitments for each EU Member State for 
the  period  2020  to  2029  and  more  ambitious  ones  as  of  2030.  It  targets  five  air  pollutants 
responsible  for  significant  negative  impacts  on  human  health  and  the  environment:  sulphur 
dioxide (SO2), nitrogen  oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic  compounds (NMVOC), 
ammonia (NH3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The emission reduction commitments for 
2020 to 2029 transpose Member State obligations under the revised Gothenburg Protocol(2) to 
the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention)(3), to 
which the EU Member States and the EU are parties.  

The Directive also establishes monitoring and reporting requirements for national emissions of 
the above-mentioned pollutants as well as of other pollutants, to be monitored and reported on 
also under the respective protocols to the Air Convention. These emissions are to be reported 
according to the methodologies laid down in the Air Convention. 

The  Directive  requires  Member  States  to  adopt  a  national  air  pollution  control  programme 
(NAPCP),  which  constitutes  a  central  governance  instrument  that  allows  them  to  agree  and 
coordinate  policies  and  measures  to  meet  national  emission  reduction  commitments. 
Furthermore, the Directive requires Member States to monitor negative impacts of air pollution 
on ecosystems.  

Directive  (EU)  2016/2284  empowers  the  Commission  to  adopt  delegated  acts  to  amend  the 
Directive  to  adapt  its  Annexes  I,  III  Part  2,  IV  and  V  to  technical  or  scientific  progress  or 
developments under the Air Convention. 

Article 6(8) of the Directive lays down that the Commission is empowered to adapt Part 2 of 
Annex  III  to  developments,  including  technical  progress,  within  the  framework  of  the  Air 
Convention. Annex III Part 2 sets out emission reduction measures, including references to the 
UNECE Framework Code for Good Agricultural Practice for Reducing Ammonia Emissions 
of  2014  and  UNECE  guidance  on  nitrogen  budgets,  to  be  considered  for  inclusion  in  the 
national air pollution control programmes. 

1  COM/2021/400 final. 
2 1999 Protocol to Abate Acidification, Eutrophication and Ground-level Ozone to the Convention on Lang-
range Transboundary Air Pollution, as amended on 4 May 2012 (amended Gothenburg Protocol). 
3 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (Air Convention).  

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Article 8(7) of the Directive lays down that the Commission is empowered to adapt Annex I 
and  Annex  IV  to  developments,  including  technical  and  scientific  progress,  within  the 
framework of the Air Convention. Annex I sets out the pollutant emissions that Member States 
must  monitor  and  corresponding  reporting  requirements  which  are  largely  aligned  with  the 
requirements under the Air Convention. Annex IV sets out the methodologies that must be used 
for  the  preparation  of  national  emission  inventories  and  projections,  informative  inventory 
reports and adjusted national emission inventories.  

Article 9(3) of the Directive lays down that the Commission is empowered to adapt Annex V 
on  optional  indicators  for  monitoring  air  pollution  impacts  on  ecosystems,  to  technical  and 
scientific progress and to developments within the framework of the Air Convention.  

2.  Legal basis 

Article 16(2) of Directive (EU) 2016/2284 requires the Commission to report on the exercise 
of the power to adopt delegated acts referred to Articles 6(8), 8(7) and 9(3). 

Pursuant to this provision, the power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission 
for a period of five years from 31 December 2016 and is automatically extended for a period of 
an identical duration, unless the European Parliament or the Council opposes such extension 
not later than three months before the end of that period.  

The Commission submitted a first report on the delegation of power to adopt delegated acts in 
accordance with Article 16 of the Directive to the European Parliament and the Council(4) in 
2021. Subsequently, the delegation of power was tacitly extended for another five years until 
31 December 2026.  

3.  Exercise of the delegation 

The  empowerment  was  deemed  necessary  to  complement  or  adapt  provisions  set  out  in 
Annexes  I,  III  Part  2,  IV  and  V  to  the  Directive  to  take  account  of  technical  and  scientific 
progress  or  developments  within  the  framework  of  the  Air  Convention.  The  Commission 
adopted: 

•  Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2024/299 on the methodology for the reporting 
of projected emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants(5) based on Article 8(7) of the 
Directive. 

This Commission Delegated Directive amends Annexes I and IV of the Directive to align with 
the increased level of detail for reporting emission projections required by the Guidelines for 
Reporting Emissions and Projections Data under the Convention on Long-range Transboundary 

4 COM(2021) 451 final. 
5 Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2024/299 of 27 October 2023 amending Directive (EU) 2016/2284 of 
the European Parliament and of the Council on the methodology for the reporting of projected emissions of 
certain atmospheric pollutants, OJ L, 17.1.2024, p.1. 

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Air Pollution as revised by the Executive Body of the Air Convention at its 42nd session, 12-
16 December 2022(6)(7).  

The ongoing revision of the Gothenburg Protocol to the Air Convention  and of the UNECE 
Ammonia  Guidance  Document(8)  may  lead  to  additional  needs  to  adapt  the  annexes  to  the 
Directive to changes within the framework of the Air Convention(9). 

4.  Conclusion 

The  Commission  has  exercised  the  delegated  powers  conferred  to  it  under  Directive  (EU) 
2016/2284  once  since  its  entry  into  force  on  31  December  2016,  to  adopt  Commission 
Delegated Directive (EU) 2024/299. 

The Commission considers that all delegations of power should be retained, as adaptations of 
Annexes  I,  III  Part  2,  IV  and  V  to  technical  and  scientific  progress  or  developments  in  the 
framework of the Air Convention may be needed in the future. 

The Commission invites the European Parliament and the Council to take note of this report. 

6 https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/ECE_EB.AIR_GE.1_2022_20-2210473E.pdf  
7 https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2023-06/Revised_Decision%202022_1%20%28E%29.pdf  
8 ECE/EB.AIR/120 
9 ECE/EB.AIR/154 

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