Industrial Pollution & Chemicals

Our Work

The EU has a long history of policies that have sought to improve Europe’s air quality and to protect the people, ecosystems and buildings affected by air pollutants. Tackling air pollution requires action in a number of areas, including industrial pollution control and reducing transport emissions. It also requires effective enforcement of air quality standards. IEEP has engaged with the EU’s air quality agenda for many years.

This has included the adoption of Directives on individual air pollutants, which were consolidated in the wide-ranging Air Quality Framework Directive which sets compulsory limit values for some pollutants and non-binding values (e.g. ‘alert levels’) for others, along with a comprehensive monitoring and information programme.

Regarding work in this area please contact: Andrew Farmer.

More about our work in this area...

Latest in Air Quality

  • The Manual: Chapter 2 - Air quality

    This is a chapter of IEEP’s Manual of European Environmental Policy. This chapter focuses on EU air quality policy. The policy field is extensive and contains many directives that impose standards, provisions and developments of air quality management and regulation.

  • The Manual: Chapter 4 - Industrial pollution

    This is a chapter of IEEP’s Manual of European Environmental Policy. This chapter provides information on EU industrial pollution policy, which outlines and discusses the legislation in place to minimise the negative effects of harmful substances and pollutants on the environment and human health.

  • Environmental policy and the UK’s review of the EU Balance of Competences

    The UK Government’s Balance of Competences review has now taken evidence on 25 subject areas, including the 6 with the most relevance for the Environment. We take stock of the IEEP’s contributions, and consider what a possible UK renegotiation might mean for the environment.

  • Does the EU benefit the UK environment?

    This report considers how environmental policy in the EU effects the UK and looks at some alternatives. Overall the impact within the environmental domain can be judged to be strongly positive to the UK. The action taken has been well balanced, with benefits for human health and welfare and the sustainability of the economy as well as the environment itself.

  • Benefit Assessment Manual for Policy Makers: Assessment of Social and Economic Benefits of Enhanced Environmental Protection in the ENPI countries

    This benefit Assessment Manual, originally for internal use, has been turned into a Benefit Assessment Manual for policy makers and experts for wider dissemination and provides an understanding of the methodologies applied for the country benefit assessments.

Highlights

  • Does the EU benefit the UK environment?

    This report considers how environmental policy in the EU effects the UK and looks at some alternatives. Overall the impact within the environmental domain can be judged to be strongly positive to the UK. The action taken has been well balanced, with benefits for human health and welfare and the sustainability of the economy as well as the environment itself.