1. NOTIFICATIONS OF TIME EXTENSIONS
Susanna Lindvall
Clean Air and Transport Unit European Commission, DG Environment

2. When to notify?
PM10 – after the entry into force of the Air Quality Directive (mid May)
NO2 and benzene – recommendation to base notification on data for 2008 and to notify in 2009

3. Notification procedure
Notifications shall be submitted by the Member State through its permanent representation
The assessment period starts on the day following official registration of the notification by the Commission
Confirmation of receipt of notification

4. The notification
A single notification may cover several zones and several pollutants
Each zone and each pollutant will be assessed individually
Information must be linked to the zone and the pollutant concerned

5. Assessment
Nine month assessment period – objection or tacit approval
Completeness check of the submitted notification
Request for complementary information

6. Guidance and format
Guidance is under development and is expected to be adopted early June as a Communication by the Commission
Staff Working Paper setting out a common format for the information input

7. General conditions for time extensions
All appropriate measures must have been taken at national, regional and local level to achieve compliance with the limit values by the initial attainment date
Compliance must be achieved before expiry of the new deadline

8. Specific condition – PM10
Causality between exceedances in a zone and the occurrence of one or more of the following factors:
Site specific dispersion characteristics
Adverse climatic conditions
Transboundary contributions

9. Site specific dispersion characteristics
Street canyons or narrow valleys or basins where locally emitted pollutants accumulate and cause high concentrations due to slow dispersion
No exceedances should occur outside sites where this condition apply,

10. Adverse climatic conditions
Large valleys or basins surrounded by high mountains where locally emitted pollutants accumulate and are slow to disperse due to low wind speed
Correlation between the existence of the topographic conditions, occurrence of low wind speed and exceedances

11. Transboundary contributions
Short- or long-range contributions of pollution originating outside the Member State
Topographic and meteorological conditions
Source apportionment
After subtraction of the transboundary contribution, concentrations should be below limit values
Consultation with Member State of origin

12. Air Quality Plan
All notifications must be accompanied by an Air Quality Plan for the zone concerned
Minimum information to be supplied – Part A of Annex XV
Information on the status of implementation of certain related Directives – Part B Annex XV
Information on whether certain pollution abatement measures have been considered - idem