Information of plans
and programmes for air pollution reduction
The EU Framework
Directive 1996/62/EC asks the Member States to draw up a list of zones and
agglomerations in which the levels of one or more pollutants are higher than
the limit value plus the margin of tolerance. In these zones and agglomerations
Member States shall take measures to ensure that programmes are prepared or
implemented for attaining the limit values within the specific time limit.
These programmes must be available for the public, and should incorporate, at
least, the following information (see more details in Framework
Directive 96/62/EC):
- Localisation of excess
pollution (region; city (map); measuring station (map, geographical
coordinates);
- General information (type of
zone (city, industrial or rural area); estimate of the polluted area (km˛)
and of the population exposed to the pollution; useful climatic data;
relevant data on topography; sufficient information on the type of targets
requiring protection in the zone);
- Responsible authorities (names
and addresses of persons responsible for the development and
implementation of improvement plans);
- Nature and assessment of
pollution (concentrations observed over previous years (before the
implementation of the improvement measures); concentrations measured since
the beginning of the project; techniques used for the assessment);
- Origin of pollution (list of
the main emission sources, etc. responsible for pollution (map); total
quantity of emissions from these sources (tonnes/year); information on
pollution imported from other regions);
- Analysis of the situation
(details of those factors responsible for the excess (transport, including
cross-border transport, formation); details of possible measures for
improvement of air quality);
- Details of those measures or projects
for improvement which existed prior to the entry into force of this
Directive i.e. (local, regional, national, international measures;
observed effects of these measures);
- Details of those measures or
projects adopted with a view to reducing pollution following the entry
into force of this Directive (listing and description of all the measures
set out in the project; timetable for implementation; estimate of the
improvement of air quality planned and of the expected time required to
attain these objectives);
- Details of the measures or
projects planned or being researched for the long term and
- List of the publications,
documents, work, etc., used to supplement information requested.
Information on air
quality levels on a regular basis
The EU Daughter
Directives regulate the need for public information on regular basis. The air
quality data collected from monitoring stations, controlling the limit values
and the alert thresholds, must be made available to the public on various time
bases.
Information on ambient
concentrations of air pollutants must routinely be made available to the public
as well as to appropriate organisations such as environmental organisations,
consumer organisations, organisations representing the interests of sensitive
populations and other relevant health-care bodies by means, for example, of
broadcast media, press, information screens or computer-network services, teletext, telephone or fax.
The first
Daughter Directive 1999/30/EC
Information on ambient
concentrations of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen
dioxide and particulate matter
should be updated on at least a daily basis, and, in the case of hourly
values for sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, wherever practicable,
information shall be updated on an hourly basis.
Information on ambient
concentrations of lead should be updated on a three-monthly basis.
The second EU
Daughter Directive 2000/69/EC
Information on ambient
concentrations of benzene, as an
average value over the last 12 months, should be updated on at least a three-monthly
basis and wherever practicable, information should be updated on a monthly
basis.
Information on ambient
concentrations of carbon monoxide, as a maximum running average over
eight hours, should be updated on at least a daily basis and wherever practicable,
information should be updated on an hourly basis.
Public information
should, at least, indicate any exceedances of the
concentrations stated in the limit values over the averaging periods and also
provide a short assessment in relation to limit values and appropriate
information regarding effects on health.
The third EU Daughter Directive 2002/03/EC
Information on ozone
levels should be updated on - at least a daily basis and, wherever appropriate
and practicable, on an hourly basis.
Such information should
at least indicate all exceedances of the
concentrations in the long-term objective for the protection of health, the
information threshold and the alert threshold for the relevant averaging
period. It should also provide a short assessment in relation to effects on
health.
Information
requirements when Limit or Alert Values are exceeded
In the cases when the exceedance of limit value has occurred,
the information of the exceedance must be available
for the public as soon as possible.
This information should include the time when the exceedance
occurred, the concentration level compared to the limit value and the
pollutant’s potential health effects.
People must be informed
as immediate as possible when exceedance
of the alert or information threshold for nitrogen dioxide, PM10
and sulphur dioxide values occurs. This information should at least include:
·
the date, hour and
place of the occurrence and the reasons for the occurrence, where known;
·
any forecasts of
changes in concentrations (improvement, stabilisation, or deterioration),
together with the reasons for those changes;
·
the geographical area
concerned;
·
the duration of the
occurrence;
·
the type of population
potentially sensitive to the occurrence;
·
the precautions to be taken by the sensitive population
concerned.
In this case, when fast
information is important, radio, television or the press or other fast means of
spreading information must be used.
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