On 3 March, the European Commission and the European Environment Agency (EEA) released the second Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook report alongside the fourth Clean Air Outlook report. These reports highlight that while EU policies have successfully reduced air pollution, pesticide use, and marine plastic litter, pollution levels remain critically high, especially regarding harmful noise, microplastics, nutrient pollution, and waste generation.
More decisive actions are necessary to meet the 2030 zero pollution targets, and zero pollution principles must be integrated into all policies. Fostering a circular economy can reduce resource consumption and lessen environmental pressures.
Although progress has been made, particularly with decreasing deaths from air pollution, significant challenges remain, including ongoing pollution from ammonia and nitrogen oxides. Both reports emphasize the need for more action on noise pollution, microplastics, and nutrient losses, as well as improved waste management.
Implementing and enforcing environmental legislation is essential to fulfil the ambition of zero pollution. Recent revisions to regulations, including the Industrial Emissions Directive and the new Nature Restoration Regulation, aim to reduce pollution pressures. A proposed regulation to prevent plastic pellet losses is set to support pollution targets.
“European citizens want clean air, water and soil and safe chemicals so that their health and their environment are protected. But also businesses and farmers need a clean environment to thrive. Today we take stock of our journey towards 2030 zero pollution targets. We are heading in the right direction but challenges remain. So we need to focus on better implementation on the ground in the Member States. Only timely and ambitious delivery of our policies will allow us to create a better living environment for all. I look forward to working with Member States and other stakeholders to make sure that we deliver the results we need,” Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, explained.
The reports also feature the first Zero Pollution Dashboard, which tracks progress in EU regions and cities on achieving cleaner air, water, and soil, highlighting 15 regions with the lowest pollution levels across Austria, Finland, France, Germany, and Sweden.
