Last October, the European Commission (EC) published its proposal to revise the EU legislation on air pollution, setting the annual limit value for Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) at 10 µg/m³ (reduction from the current 25 µg/m³). ESMO’s response to a public consultation and engagement with MEPs helped to secure the adoption of the European Parliament (EP) Environment, Public Health and Food Safety’s (ENVI) report which reflects ESMO’s recommendations to set the annual limit value for PM2.5 at 5 µg/m³ and to align EU air quality standards with the most recent WHO guidelines to prevent lung cancer in the EU. The report now needs to be formally adopted in Plenary (full session) in September.
Currently, the EU Councill is working on its position on the EC’s proposal and ESMO continues engaging with the EU institutions to secure the inclusion of the limit of 5 µg/m³ in the final text of this legislation and we will be targeting national governments who might oppose to lower the limit.