EU citizens will soon be better protected from the negative health effects of fine dust particles, thanks to a new directive on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe. The legal text was adopted at the Council meeting on on Monday in Luxembourg, following an agreement with the European Parliament under the conciliation procedure. It foresees a limit of 25 µg/m3 for the average concentration of dust particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5). This figure is fixed as a target value to be attained by member states by 1 January 2010; it will become a binding cap from 2015.

PM2.5, which are emitted by a wide range of sources (such as diesel vehicles, industrial facilities and residential fire places) have a significant negative impact on human health as they are small enough to be inhaled deeply in the lungs. They can cause serious health problems and in particular lung-related illnesses, including asthma, emphysema and bronchitis. Recent studies have shown that PM2.5 in the air contribute to the premature death of 350,000 people across the EU annually.

The new directive is further aimed at simplifying current European legislation on ambient air quality by merging five separate texts (four directives and a Council decision) into a single legal act. In that way, the volume of current legal texts will be reduced by 50 %.

Existing standards for emissions of harmful air pollutants will be maintained. However, member states will be granted more flexibility in meeting some limit values, especially for coarse particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

They will be allowed to postpone the deadline for compliance in zones and agglomerations where they encounter special difficulties (for example adverse climatic conditions or trans-boundary pollution). The new rules are expected to enter into force by the middle of this year.