EU ‘lacked ambition’ at air pollution talks

The EU’s stance at international talks on air pollution has been called unambitious after it emerged that proposed ceilings on pollutants do not go any further than existing EU targets.

Delegates from around the world are meeting in Geneva to add amendments to the Gothenburg Protocol’s convention on long-range trans-boundary air pollution. But environmental campaigners are disappointed at the scope of the talks.

Louise Duprez of the European Environmental Bureau, a campaign group, said the talks were a wasted opportunity. “The EU is basically committing to comply with levels set out in its own legislation – which they planned to do anyway,” she said. “This means that more will have to be done next year within the EU during the long-awaited revision of the national emission ceilings directive and the review of the thematic strategy on air pollution.”

The EU is calling for a 55% cut in sulphur dioxide below 2005 levels, a 40% cut in nitrogen oxides, 22% for fine particulates (PM2.5), 25% for volatile organic compounds, and 6% for ammonia, according to participants in the talks.

The proposed ceilings for ammonia and PM2.5 are slightly higher than a proposal put forward in March by Denmark, which holds the presidency of the Council of Ministers. In a note circulated to member states at the time, the European Commission and the Danish presidency said that the proposed limits would be lower than those put forward by other parties in order to encourage more countries to ratify the protocol.

At the time of going to press, an agreement on the new limits looked likely to be reached tomorrow. If an agreement cannot be reached, talks will have to resume in the autumn.