1. Particulate Matter, the Thematic Strategy & the National Emissions Ceilings Directive
UNECE WG PM Berlin May 2005
Duncan Johnstone
Clean Air & Transport Unit
DG Environment

2. Important Caveats
The proposed content of the Thematic Strategy on air pollution is currently subject to the internal decision making procedures of the Commission.
There is no guarantee that the there will be a strategy or that interim environmental objectives will be established as foreseen.
The 6th Environmental Action Programme (Decision 1600/2002/EC) was adopted jointly by the Council and the European Parliament in July 2002.
The 6EAP:
Obliges the Commission to propose a thematic strategy on air pollution not later than in July 2005.
States that the Thematic strategy shouyld be be coherent and take an integrated approach and ensure linkages through to other environmental areas such as climate change.
“a thematic strategy to strengthen a coherent and integrated policy on air pollution to cover priorities for further actions, the review and updating where appropriate of air quality standards and national emission ceilings with a view to reach the long term objective of no-exceedence of critical loads and levels and the development of better systems for gathering information, modelling and forecasting”
(Art 7 (f) of the 6EAP “Objectives and priority areas for action on environment and health and quality of life”)
stipulates that the thematic strategy should achieve levels of air quality that do not give significant negative impact on human health and the environment. This is in line with the Treaty where the objective is to achieve a high degree of environmental protection. However, we do not know exactly how to define “significant” since this is ultimately a political judgement on what is acceptable.
requires the Thematic Strategy to be published by July 2005.
A critical load is, for a particular ecosystem, a level of pollution below which the ecosystem ought not to be at significant risk of harm. The 6EAP sets an objective of no exceedence of critical loads for acidification and eutrophication.
Excess nitrogen inputs to a given ecosystem which are above the critical load may put the ecosystem at risk of eutrophication. This has implications for biodiversity as many plants succeed in nitrogen deficient environments such that if when there is excess nitrogen, plant communities may change in favour of more nitrophillic species.

3. CAFE & the Thematic Strategy
The CAFE Programme has undertaken the technical work for the Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution.
Technical Work has looked at environmental/health objectives related to human exposure to PM.
The Thematic Strategy “will” establish Community objectives for the protection of human health from PM.
A Twin approach will be taken to make progress towards these objectives
Ambient air quality management objectives (local/national)
Revision of the National Emissions Ceilings Directive (national/transboundary)

4. Air Quality Management
Revision of ambient air quality legislation
New “Cap” concentration for PM2.5 (roughly equivalent to PM10 LVs)
Exposure reduction for PM2.5 based upon
Average of measured concentrations in urban background locations
Reduction in the average concentration between 2010 and 2020 that varies according to baseline concentration in 2010 (3-year rolling mean) as 1.5% per µg/m3

5. Revision of the NECD
PM2.5 also comprises components that are transboundary in nature
Components comprise 1° and 2° aerosol
2° aerosol tackled by revised ceilings for SOx, NOx, NH3.
1° aerosol tackled by new ceiling for emissions of primary particulate matter
National emissions ceilings linked back to the interim environmental objectives in the Thematic Strategy but using refined calculations.