Pöördumine

Health and air quality standards in the European Union What you need to know to accelerate disease prevention Air pollution - especially persistent and long term one - is the second leading cause of death from noncommunicable Why is air pollution a (non-infectious) diseases (NCDs), according to WHO1. It health problem? increases the risk of ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. The key pollutants include particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3) and sulphur dioxide (SO2). Short and long-term exposure to these pollutants What are the main air is linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary pollutants and their disease), lung cancer, asthma, reduced lung function, impacts on the developing health impacts? brain and central nervous system, increased risk of preterm birth and reduced birth weight. Of the various pollutants, PM2.5 leads to the greatest health burden, as these tiny particles can enter the bloodstream. Air pollution is the biggest environmental risk factor for health in the EU, causing 400,000 premature deaths annually. The health How does air pollution costs from air pollution are estimated at up to 940 billion EUR affect health in the EU? a year2. Overall, the health burden from air pollution is higher in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe. Air pollution impacts everybody, but it has a particularly harmful effect on vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and Who is most people with pre-existing conditions, children and people living affected? in socio-economically challenging environments. Exposure to air pollutants can increase the risk of a child developing asthma and the number and severity of asthma attacks, affect their learning How does air pollution abilities, as well as a child’s heart, brain and nervous system development. affect children? Even children in utero can be affected: pregnant women breathing unhealthy air can lead to children being born earlier, or with a lower birth weight, which increases the risk of disease decades later. 1 Noncommunicable diseases and air pollution, WHO European High-Level Conference on Noncommunicable Diseases, 2019. https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/397787/Air-Pollution-and-NCDs.pdf 2 Air Quality - revision of EU Rules, 2021, -https://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/quality/documents/Air%20Quality%20Revision%20of%20EU%20Rules%20-%20Status%2010%20May%202021.pdf #CleanAir4Health env-health.org HEAL HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT ALLIANCE  Numerous European studies have shown that air quality tends to be worse in the areas where the most deprived populations live. This is also reflected by disparities of PM2.5 levels across Europe: the most polluted regions have How does air mean concentration levels more than twice as high as the least polluted pollution link to regions, with significantly higher exposure levels in socially disadvantaged areas3. In the Ostrava Declaration on Environment and Health, Member health inequalities? States in the WHO European Region committed to “consider equity, social inclusion and gender equality in our policies on the environment and health”4. The main driver of climate change is fossil fuel combustion, which is also a major contributor to air pollution; efforts to How does air pollution reduce one can improve the other. According to a recent link to climate change? estimate, fossil fuel burning was responsible for about 8.7 million deaths in 20185. What are the main sources The main sources are fossil fueled road traffic, burning of fossil fuels for energy production and heating, biomass burning and of air pollution that agriculture. impact health in the EU? The majority of people in the EU live in urban settings, and their number is expected to increase. According to the European Why is air pollution a Environment Agency6, in 2020, only 127 of 323 cities had particular problem in cities? acceptable levels of PM2.5 (when judged against World Health Organization guidelines); the air pollutant with the highest impact on health in terms of disease and premature death. Whereas emissions of pollutants have gone down, and levels for Air pollutant concentrations have some pollutants such as particulate matter (PM) have decreased in the EU, they are still above the WHO recommended levels improved over the last decade, so is this needed to protect health. Additionally, the health burden really still a public health problem? has remained very high and proves that even lower levels of pollution are harmful to health. 3 Environmental health inequalities resource package. A tool for understanding and reducing inequalities in environmental risk. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe; 2019. 4 Declaration of the Sixth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health, https://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/341944/OstravaDeclaration_SIGNED.pdf 5 K. Vohra et al., Global mortality from outdoor fine particle pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion, Environmental Research, Volume 195, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.110754 6 European city air quality viewer, European Environment Agency, https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/air/urban-air-quality/european-city-air-quality-viewer  Most EU countries have a network of official air quality monitoring stations in place, based on the requirements defined in the relevant EU laws, and also provide this How is air quality information to the public. But often, there are gaps in what the official monitoring stations cover; for example when they are not located in the most polluted places monitored in the EU? in a city. Lately, so-called “citizen science projects” have enabled people to monitor air quality with professional equipment themselves, and use that information to determine their level of exposure, or choose another way to travel to work, school etc. The WHO regularly reviews all available research on air How is the World Health pollutants` impact on people’s health. Based on this extensive, Organization active in-depth review of the scientific literature, it just published its for healthy air quality? new guidelines for concentrations for selected air pollutants. They are of a high methodological quality and are developed What is the significance through a transparent, evidence-based review process. WHO of these WHO air quality guidelines can be considered the gold standard for evidence- based decision-making on air quality, as they are focused on guidelines? what is best for people’s health, based on the latest science. Only partly. The current EU air quality standards are Are these science-based guidelines the results of a political compromise, and differ for key reflected in EU legislation? pollutants, especially for PM2.5. As an example, the current EU Directive sets the maximum By how much do EU limits tolerated concentration of fine particulate matter in the air as differ from the evidence-based 25 µg/m3 for the year, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines by WHO? has a much stricter guideline of 5 µg/m3.  The EU is going to revise the bloc’s air quality standards next year (the legislative proposal is expected in autumn 2022). The European Green Deal and the recently What is the EU doing to adopted EU Zero Pollution Action Plan include the commitment to align the better protect health? current EU Air Quality Standards closer with WHO recommendations. Disease and premature death can be optimally prevented only by fully aligning EU standards with the evidence-based WHO values. Expressing support for full alignment with WHO guidelines is the best and only way to assure utmost health protection. This could encompass a public statement by health ministers, input into the public consultation (expected to open 3rd quarter of 2021) or by adopting European Council Conclusions. How can health ministries Health ministries can also seek to be formally involved in the setting be involved in this process, of a country’s position for the new EU air quality guidelines, with and on disease prevention regular exchanges with environment ministers. around air pollution? Health ministries can further include air quality preventative measures in the national health programmes, or support more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions for reducing CO2, helping both with cleaning up the air and climate action. Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) Contact: @HealthandEnv Avenue des Arts 7/8 Vijoleta Gordeljevic, 1210 Brussels, Belgium Health and Climate Change Coordinator @healthandenvironmentalliance Phone: +32 (0)2 329 00 80 E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] HEAL gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the European Union (EU) and the Climate Works Foundation for the production of this publication. The responsibility for the content lies with the authors and the views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the EU institutions and funders. The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and the funders are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained in this publication. HEAL EU transparency register number: 00723343929-96 Saatja: Vijoleta Gordeljevic <[email protected]> Saadetud: 01.10.2021 11:01 Adressaat: SM Info <[email protected]> Koopia: <[email protected]> Teema: Call for the Health Ministry to get engaged on clean air and support evidence-based air quality standards To: Health Ministers of the EU-27 Call for the Health Ministry to get engaged on clean air and support evidence-based air quality standards Dear Minister Kiik, The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) is a leading European not-for- profit organisation working for better health through a healthy environment. Protecting peoples health from air pollution, especially that of vulnerable groups such as children or those already suffering from disease, has been a priority of our 90-member organisations alliance since HEALs founding in 2003. We are contacting you with a major opportunity to protect peoples health in the EU through measures on air pollution, the largest environmental threat to human health. Air pollution is the second leading cause of death from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) after tobacco smoking, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Recent studies point especially to the vulnerability of children, where air pollution exposure in early life can have lifelong consequences to health. According to WHO, air pollution leads to 7 million premature deaths worldwide each year and an estimated 400,000 from ambient air pollution in the European Union. Last week, WHO, after a systematic review of the science, published its new , presenting new science-based recommendations for concentrations of the major air pollutants. These new recommendations now suggest lower values for the main pollutants, most notably for particulate matter (PM2.5), which causes the greatest health burden in the EU, for which a new annual concentration of 5 µg/m³ is now recommended (the EUs annual standard is 25µg/m³). For nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which has come under intense scrutiny in discussions on road transport and inner-city driving bans, a new annual concentration of 10 µg/m³ is now recommended (from previously 40 µg/m³). At EU level, the revision of the EUs Ambient Air Quality Directive, which sets clean air standards, is foreseen for autumn 2022. In this crucial update for public health, any statement from your side calling for full alignment with new WHO recommendations would be instrumental in strengthening Europeans health and preventing disease. We invite you to assure that the voice of the nation's highest health body joins deliberations around Europes most common environmental health risk, air pollution. A greater engagement on clean air would also mean following through with the commitments included in the WHO European Region 2018 Ostrava Declaration, in which health ministers made a pledge of actions to meet the World Health Organizations air quality guidelines.. HEALs recommendations In the context of a pandemic of unprecedented nature, today's times call for a determined focus on health protection and the prevention of disease. We invite you to demonstrate your commitment to protecting people's health from environmental threats by: · Issuing a public statement expressing support for health-based air quality standards; thus, asking for your national government to support full alignment with WHO air quality recommendations for major pollutants and the latest science. · Contributing health expertise for the formulation of the position of your country for the revision of the EUs ambient air quality directive, starting 2021/22, which will be led by Environment Ministers. · Adopting Council Conclusions, as a demonstration of a shared understanding among EU health ministers on the need to tackle air pollution (Environment Ministers adopted Conclusions on in 2020). In the attached one-pager we have compiled a brief Q&A containing some key information on air pollution and health in the EU, as well as concrete policy recommendations. Yours sincerely, Anne StaufferDeputy DirectorHealth and Environment Alliance (HEAL) The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) is the leading not-for-profit organisation addressing how the environment affects human health in the European Union (EU) and beyond. HEAL works to shape laws and policies that promote planetary and human health and protect those most affected by pollution, and raise awareness on the benefits of environmental action for health. HEALs over 70 member organisations include international, European, national and local groups of health professionals, not-for-profit health insurers, patients, citizens, women, youth, and environmental experts representing over 200 million people across the 53 countries of the WHO European Region. As an alliance, HEAL brings independent and expert evidence from the health community to EU and global decision-making processes to inspire disease prevention and to promote a toxic-free, low-carbon, fair and healthy future. HEALs EU Transparency Register Number: 00723343929-96 ________________________________ -- Vijoleta Gordeljevic Health and Climate Change Coordinator Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) Located in Berlin Office hours: Mo/Tues/Thurs/Fri 8:00 16:00 MUNDO MADOU Visitors and deliveries: Avenue des Arts 7/8 Head office: Rue de la Charité 22 B-1210 Bruxelles Tel: +32 2 329 00 80 | | | | | Brussels, 1 October 2021 To: Health Ministers of the EU-27 Call for the Health Ministry to get engaged on clean air and support evidence-based air quality standards Dear Minister, The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) is a leading European not-for-profit organisation working for better health through a healthy environment. Protecting people’s health from air pollution, especially that of vulnerable groups such as children or those already suffering from disease, has been a priority of our 90- member organisation’s alliance since HEAL’s founding in 2003. We are contacting you with a major opportunity to protect people’s health in the EU through measures on air pollution, the largest environmental threat to human health. Air pollution is the second leading cause of death from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) after tobacco smoking, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Recent studies point especially to the vulnerability of children, where air pollution exposure in early life can have lifelong consequences to health.1 According to WHO, air pollution leads to 7 million premature deaths worldwide each year and an estimated 400,000 from ambient air pollution in the European Union. Last week, WHO, after a systematic review of the science, published its new Global Air Quality Guidelines2, presenting new science-based recommendations for concentrations of the major air pollutants. These new recommendations now suggest lower values for the main pollutants, most notably for particulate matter (PM2.5), which causes the greatest health burden in the EU, for which a new annual concentration of 5 µg/m³ is now recommended (the EU’s annual standard is 25µg/m³). For nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which has come under intense scrutiny in discussions on road transport and inner-city driving bans, a new annual concentration of 10 µg/m³ is now recommended (from previously 40 µg/m³). At EU level, the revision of the EU’s Ambient Air Quality Directive, which sets clean air standards, is foreseen for autumn 2022. In this crucial update for public health, any statement from your side calling for full alignment with new WHO recommendations would be instrumental in strengthening European’s health and preventing disease. We invite you to assure that the voice of the nation's highest health body joins deliberations around Europe’s most common environmental health risk, air pollution. A greater engagement on clean air would also mean following through with the commitments included in the WHO European Region 2018 Ostrava Declaration, in which health ministers made a pledge of actions to meet the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines..3 1 https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/air-quality/news/news/2019/3/noncommunicable-diseases-and-air-pollution 2 https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/345329/9789240034228-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y 3 https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/air-quality/news/news/2019/12/achieving-sustainable-and-healthy-environments- for-all-celebrating-30-years-of-the-european-environment-and-health-process HEAL’S RECOMMENDATIONS In the context of a pandemic of unprecedented nature, today's times call for a determined focus on health protection and the prevention of disease. We invite you to demonstrate your commitment to protecting people's health from environmental threats by: • Issuing a public statement expressing support for health-based air quality standards; thus, asking for your national government to support full alignment with WHO air quality recommendations for major pollutants and the latest science. • Contributing health expertise for the formulation of the position of your country for the revision of the EU’s ambient air quality directive, starting 2021/22, which will be led by Environment Ministers. • Adopting Council Conclusions, as a demonstration of a shared understanding among EU health ministers on the need to tackle air pollution (Environment Ministers adopted Conclusions on Air Quality Improvements in 2020). In the attached one-pager we have compiled a brief Q&A containing some key information on air pollution and health in the EU, as well as concrete policy recommendations. Yours sincerely, Anne Stauffer Deputy Director Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) The Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) is the leading not-for-profit organisation addressing how the environment affects human health in the European Union (EU) and beyond. HEAL works to shape laws and policies that promote planetary and human health and protect those most affected by pollution, and raise awareness on the benefits of environmental action for health. HEAL’s over 70 member organisations include international, European, national and local groups of health professionals, not-for-profit health insurers, patients, citizens, women, youth, and environmental experts representing over 200 million people across the 53 countries of the WHO European Region. As an alliance, HEAL brings independent and expert evidence from the health community to EU and global decision-making processes to inspire disease prevention and to promote a toxic-free, low-carbon, fair and healthy future. HEAL’s EU Transparency Register Number: 00723343929-96 2