Structure of this impact assessmentSection 1 introduces the political and legal context in which the revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directives is undertaken. To complement this, Annex 8 offers a more detailed overview of EU Clean Air policy and how it correlates with other EU policies that affect air pollution. Annex 9 recalls the findings of the fitness check of the Ambient Air Quality Direc...

The purpose of this document is to compile information about Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS) and answer the most common questions related to their history, purpose, development and implementation.CAAQS are health and environment-based air quality objectives for pollutant concentrations in outdoor air. CAAQS are the major drivers for actions to improve air quality across Canada by al...

This document is intended to describe the general process followed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in reviewing the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS). It describes the phases of a review, the documents associated with each phase, the general timing and sequence of document development, the role of the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC), and public involv...

On 23 November 2007, the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) was declared in terms of section 18(1)(a) and (b) of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act No. 39 of 2004) (NEMAQA) (see Figure E-1). The declaration was triggered by air quality in the area that has consistently exceeded National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The HPA is also considered one of the major oxides of ni...

At its sixtieth session, the Working Group welcomed the proposal of the Gothenburg Protocol Review Group to prepare an informal document on barriers to ratification and implementation of the amended Gothenburg Protocol, including possible solutions to overcome them. This informal document builds on the formal document ECE/EB.AIR/WG.5/2022/5 entitled “Review of the flexibility provisions to facilit...

This standard has been formulated to implement the ‘Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China’ and the ‘Air Pollution Prevention and Control Law of the People’s Republic of China’, to control pollutant emissions from motor vehicles, and to improve ambient air quality.This standard specifies the requirements for Type Approval testing, production conformity and in-service compli...

On December 23, 2016, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) of the People’s Republic of China released the final rule of the Stage 6 Limits and Measurement Methods for Emissions from Light-Duty Vehicles (GB18352.6—2016; hereafter referred to as the China 6 standard or China 6). This standard applies to light-duty vehicles (M1, M2, and N1 categories up to 3,500 kg of maximum mass per the E...

BAT reference documents (BREFs) represent the outcome of the ‘Sevilla process’. The majority of BREFs cover specific agro-industrial activities; such BREFs are referred to as 'sectoral BREFs'. However, there are also a number of 'horizontal BREFs' dealing with cross-cutting issues such as energy efficiency, industrial cooling systems or emissions from storage with relevance for industrial manufact...

The European Commission proposes and ensures implementation of EU  law, in cooperation with other EU institutions and Member States. A set of rules, known as ‘better regulation’, seeks to improve the quality of EU legislation.The European Union is based on the Treaty on the European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, signed and approved voluntarily and democratical...

The Ambient Air Quality Directive requires the assessment of ambient air quality in Member States using common methods and criteria for air quality monitoring and modelling. This comprehensive assessment is required throughout the whole territory of each country.The type of assessment methods used depends on the level of pollution, and these can go from fixed measurements to indicative measurement...