C/01/438
Brussels, 22 November 2001 (26.11)
14395/01 (Presse 438)
(OR. fr)
PARLIAMENT  COUNCIL CONCILIATION COMMITTEE
Agreement on ozone in ambient air
The European Parliament and the Council today reached agreement in the Conciliation Committee 1
on the proposal for a Directive relating to ozone in ambient air. The Directive will bring about a
significant improvement in management of the problem of ozone in ambient air, compared with the
current situation. The agreement still has to be confirmed by the European Parliament, acting by a
majority of the votes cast, and by the Council, acting by a qualified majority, after which the
Directive will be finally adopted.
The key points in the conciliation discussions were the nature of the obligation under the Directive
to achieve the target values for concentrations of ozone in ambient air by 2010, the maximum
period for which thresholds may be exceeded, and the introduction of a cut-off date for achieving
long-term objectives.
In the case of the target values, a formula was found which, compared with the common position,
strengthens the binding nature of the obligation laid down in the Directive. The Member States
must thus achieve the target values by 2010, save where not achievable through proportionate
measures.
1
The Conciliation Committee has 30 members: 15 members of the European Parliament and
15 representatives of the Council. The meeting on 22 November 2001, at which this item was
taken without debate, was co-chaired by Mr Ingo FRIEDRICH, Vice-President of the
European Parliament, and by the President-in-Office of the Council, Ms Isabelle DURANT,
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Mobility and Transport of Belgium.
Internet: http://ue.eu.int/Newsroom
E-mail: press.office@consilium.eu.int
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With regard to the maximum period during which those values may be exceeded, the number of
days per year was kept at 25. Finally, with regard to the long-term objectives below which the
concentration of ozone in ambient air would no longer represent a risk to human health or the
environment, the year 2020 was introduced as the reference year for the studies to be carried out
and for a possible review of the Directive.
Content of the Directive on ozone in ambient air
This Directive, together with the Directives on national emission ceilings and large combustion
plants adopted on 27 September 2001, forms a package of measures designed to ensure better air
quality in line with framework Directive 96/62/EC.
The arrangements introduced by the Directive relate to concentrations of ozone in the air and the
provision of adequate information to the public about such concentrations. The Directive will
establish an information threshold, an alert threshold (higher than the information threshold), target
values and long-term objectives in order to avoid, prevent or reduce the harmful effects of ozone for
human health and for the environment.
When the ozone concentration exceeds the information threshold beyond which there is a risk to the
health of particularly sensitive sections of the population, namely a one-hour average of 180 μg/m3,
Member States must make up-to-date information available to the public about ozone
concentrations.
When the alert threshold, namely a one-hour average of 240 μg/m3 (hitherto 360 μg/m3) is exceeded
or risks being exceeded, Member States must inform the public and, if appropriate, take short-term
measures to control and, if necessary, reduce or suspend certain activities which contribute to
emissions. To that end, the Member States are to draw up action plans indicating the specific
measures to be taken in the short term for particularly sensitive areas.
Save where not achievable through proportionate measures, Member States should achieve the
target values set in the Directive for ozone concentrations in ambient air by 2010. The ultimate goal
is no longer to exceed those values in order to avoid harmful effects on human health and the
environment in the long term. The target value for the protection of human health is 120 μg/m3
(to date, there is no target value for that purpose). This should not be exceeded on more than
25 days a year. The target value for the protection of vegetation has been set at 18 000 μg/m3.
The Directive also lays down long-term objectives below which, according to current scientific
knowledge, direct harmful effects on human health or on the environment are unlikely. These
objectives are 120 μg/m3 for the protection of human health and 6 000 μg/m3 for vegetation.
Member States will have to measure ozone concentrations regularly and send the results to the
Commission. To carry out these measurements, sampling points will have to be distributed
throughout the country.
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