European Green Deal: European Commission proposes rules for cleaner air and water

Clean air and water are essential for the health of people and ecosystems. Air pollution alone means nearly 300,000 Europeans die prematurely each year, and the proposed new rules will reduce deaths resulting from levels of the main pollutant PM_2.5 above World Health Organization guidelines by more than 75% in ten years. Across air and water, all of the new rules provide clear return on investment thanks to benefits in health, energy savings, food production, industry, and biodiversity. 

Learning the lessons from current laws, the Commission proposes to both tighten allowed levels of pollutants and to improve implementation to ensure pollution reduction goals are more often reached in practice. 

Today’s proposals are a key advance for the European Green Deal’s zero pollution ambition of having an environment free of harmful pollution by 2050. They also respond to specific demands of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevičius, said:

“The quality of the air we breathe and the water we use is fundamental for our lives and the future of our societies. Polluted air and water harm our health and our economy and the environment, affecting the vulnerable most of all. It is therefore our duty to clean up air and water for our own and future generations. The cost of inaction is far greater than the cost of prevention. That is why the Commission is acting now to ensure coordinated action across the Union to better tackle pollution at source - locally and cross-border.”

More information:

• Press release: European Green Deal: Commission proposes rules for cleaner air and water
• Questions and Answers on: 
  • the Revised list of Surface water and groundwater pollutants
  • the Review of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive
  • the Revision of EU ambient air quality legislation
• Factsheets on: 
  • Factsheet on Surface water and groundwater pollutants
  • Factsheet on the Review of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive
  • Factsheet on the Revision of EU ambient air quality legislation
  • Factsheet on the European Green Deal – Policies for Improving Air Quality