Evaluation of the National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive (3/3)

Air pollution damages human health and the environment. Several pollutants are emitted into the air from different sources. The effects may be felt locally or even hundreds of kilometres away due to the pollutant being transformed and transported in the atmosphere. Air pollution policy addresses this complex reality. It comprises legislation covering environmental quality standards and the abatement of specific emissions sources (nationally and at EU level), as well as strategic legislation to tackle long-range pollution that crosses national borders, including an international agreement under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (see Box 1 below). There are strong inter-connections between the various policies influencing air pollution. This reflects the reality that similar economic activities often affect both air pollution and climate change, as well having an impact on water pollution and ecosystems. This makes evaluating the specific role of the National Emissions reduction Commitments Directive (NECD) particularly challenging.

The NECD sets out mandatory commitments per Member State to reduce emissions of five key air pollutants that have a distinct transboundary effect and a harmful impact on human health and the environment. There are emission reduction commitments (ERCs) to be achieved by 2020 and another set of commitments to be achieved by 2030. Inventories of emissions are reported annually by the Member States to monitor the effectiveness of national policy programmes and measures to abate emissions. The purpose of the current evaluation therefore is to take stock of progress made so far and to assess whether additional effort or policies may be needed to ensure delivery of ERCs by 2030. Moreover, the evaluation will specifically address opportunities for cost reduction and simplification, in line with the Commission’s reinvigorated simplification agenda and its commitment to improving the EU’s economic competitiveness.

The evaluation will inform the Commission’s agenda on clean, competitive and socially fair prosperity by providing insights for implementing key political initiatives, such as the Clean Industrial Deal, the Vision for Agriculture, the Water Resilience Strategy and the upcoming Bioeconomy Strategy. It will also show the extent to which the Directive is contributing to implementing the related targets and objectives set so far, notably as part of the European Green Deal. More specifically, the analysis will take into account links with other policy areas that either directly or indirectly influence air pollutant emissions, such as climate, energy, mobility, industrial and agricultural policies.