[cleanairuk_news] IMPORTANT: EU consultation on YOUR air quality ; ends March 2013

[Network for Clean Air]

From: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-12-1337_en.htm

Note: *The consultation is open until 4 March 2013.*

Press release

Brussels, 11 December 2012

*Environment: Give your opinion on how to improve EU air quality policy*

*The European Commission is holding a public consultation on the best way
to improve air quality in Europe. For the next twelve weeks, interested
parties are invited to share their views on ways to ensure full
implementation of the existing framework, to improve it, and to complement
it with supporting actions. The results of the consultation will feed into
a comprehensive review of Europe's air policies due in 2013. The
consultation is open until 4 March 2013.*

Air pollution and the associated threats to the environment and human
health continue to be a concern for many EU citizens. Despite progress in
the past decades resulting from legislation to reduce harmful pollutants
such as sulphur dioxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and
benzene, some pollutants are still causing problems. Summer smog,
potentially harmful ground-level ozone and fine particles that pose
significant health risks regularly exceed safe limits. Consequently,
exposure to air pollution still causes over 350,000 premature deaths in
the EU every year.

The consultation is divided into two parts – a short questionnaire for the
general public, and a more extensive set of questions for experts and
practitioners from national administrations, regional and local
authorities, researchers, businesses, stakeholders, health, environmental
and other groups with experience in implementing EU air quality
legislation.

This web-based consultation is part of a broader process designed to
involve civil society in the upcoming air policy review. It is the final
formal step of the consultation process started by the Commission in
January 2011 (see MEMO/11/31), and which has involved regular meetings
with Member States and other stakeholders and a first public consultation
on the effectiveness of EU air quality policy and priorities for the
future (see IP/11/813).

The Commission will also shortly issue the results of a Eurobarometer
survey on air quality. Some 25 000 European citizens in 27 Member States
have been interviewed to give their views on air quality issues.

*Next Steps*

Building on two years of in-depth analysis and the results of this
extensive consultation process, the Commission will make a proposal on the
future of EU air policy by 2013 at the latest.

For more information:

Questionnaire for experts:
http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=TSAPforExperts

Questionnaire for general public:
http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=TSAPforGP

The consultation can be filled in through:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations_en.htm

More details on EU air policy and its review:

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/index_en.htm

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/review_air_policy.htm