Evaluation shows EU clean air policy works, but further efforts needed

December 1, 2025

The evaluation of the National Emission Reduction Commitments (NEC) Directive, published today, confirms that it, along with other EU clean air policies, is effectively reducing air pollution. However, challenges remain, as some Member States are not on track to meet all targets.

Speaking ahead of the Clean Air Forum in Bonn, Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, said:

“Investing in clean air is investing in our resilience and competitiveness. Policies to reduce air pollution have generated benefits that greatly outweigh their costs. Every euro spent for clean air generates at least four times the benefits.

The EU’s policy to reduce air pollution is delivering solid results. Air quality has improved steadily over the past decades, and the EU is on track to cut the health impacts of air pollution by more than 55% by 2030 compared to 2005.”

The evaluation assessed whether the NEC Directive is effectively reducing air pollution in the EU, whether it aligns with broader EU action on climate, energy, and transport, whether its goals remain relevant, and how it supports the achievement of air quality standards.

Clear decoupling from economic growth

Emissions of the five main air pollutants (sulphur dioxide (SO₂), fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds, and ammonia (NH₃) have steadily declined in the EU during the evaluation period, while the economy grew.

This indicates successful decoupling of economic activity and air pollution. Over the past two decades, sulphur dioxide emissions saw the most significant reduction (85% compared to 2005), while ammonia reductions were more modest (-17% in the same period).

By 2023, Member States had met over 90% of their emission-reduction commitments, with 19 Member States fulfilling the related obligations for all pollutants. The NEC Directive contributed to these achievements, alongside the Ambient Air Quality Directives, climate and energy legislation, transport actions, and industrial emission rules, among others.

The NEC Directive plays a vital role in the EU’s clean air policy framework. It facilitates the development of comprehensive overviews of emissions from all sources and sets limits on national emissions. This approach gives Member States the flexibility to develop policies and measures that effectively address emissions, tailored to their specific contexts and priorities.

The evaluation shows that clean air policy benefits, worth at least €372 billion over the period from 2016 to 2025, exceed pollution reduction costs by at least 4-to-1.

Remaining challenges and next steps

Despite overall progress, some challenges persist. Eight Member States are non-compliant with one or more reduction commitments that were to be met by the year 2020, and several may struggle to meet their 2030 commitments. Achieving these will require continued efforts and close coordination across policy areas to ensure further reductions in air pollutants.

Meanwhile, 95% of urban Europeans remain exposed to air pollutant concentrations above World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, according to a report published today by the European Environment Agency.

In 2023,  182,000 premature deaths were attributable to PM_2.5 exposure, which is 57% fewer than in 2005.

Background

The fifth EU Clean Air Forum, organised on 1-2 December 2025 by the European Commission and this year hosted by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, will gather over 350 decision-makers, stakeholders, and experts from Europe to discuss the results of the evaluation of the NEC Directive.

It will also explore the use of Earth Observation and artificial intelligence to inform better decision-making for cleaner air, to reflect on the role of innovation and investments to support clean air policy, to highlight on the links between climate action and clean air policy, to improve how we communicate about the adverse health impacts of air pollution, and to point to policy action that can further enhance the quality of air especially at the regional level.

The NEC Directive, since 2016, sets percentage reduction commitments for air pollutants for each Member State, requires them to put in place policies and measures to reduce air pollutant emissions, and monitors progress. Its purpose is to cut harmful air pollutant emissions in a coordinated, cost-effective way, protecting health, ecosystems and quality of life across the EU.