Air pollution in Europe has to be reduced. A number of countries
have therefore reached an agreement today in Geneva on stricter
requirements for reduction of air pollution towards 2020. The
new reduction targets are set for the emission of ammonia from
agriculture, emission of particulate matter, sulphur and
nitrogen oxides from transport and industry and the emission of
volatile organic compounds from e.g. paint. The agreement was
adopted by the Parties to the so-called Gothenburg Protocol
which covers the entire European continent and USA and Canada.
The revised protocol will reduce the emissions of the air
pollutants with up to 60% in EU by 2020. - The air in Europe
will be cleaner. The agreement is an important step towards
reducing the massive human health effects, environmental and
societal cost connected with air pollution. I am very satisfied
that we managed to reach agreement to reduce air pollution with
firm obligations towards 2020 during the Danish EU Presidency,
says the Council chair, Ida Auken