ETC HE Reports

The reporting guidelines are intended to support reporters that will be conducting the submission of data required under the Environmental Noise Directive. The document provides an overview to the reporting process in Reportnet 3 and it describes the reporting data schemas and the quality checks that are undertaken during the submission process. In addition to this, reporting examples are also provided. A key goal of this document is to ensure a common understanding among data providers working on the implementation of the Environmental Noise Directive. This document should further be of assistance to both thematic and IT experts.

This report examines the accessibility and distribution of quiet green areas within European urban centres. Utilising spatial analysis and data from the Copernicus Urban Atlas and Environmental Noise Directive, the study identifies green urban areas and assesses their acoustic quality by overlaying noise contour maps. The methodology focuses on urban centres as stable reference units, ensuring comparability with previous assessments by DG Regio. Key findings reveal that only 34% of the population in the 233 cities analysed can access quiet green areas within a 400-meter walk, highlighting the significant impact of road traffic noise. The study also uncovers considerable variability in accessibility between cities and countries, with Northern European countries generally exhibiting higher accessibility rates. The report underscores the importance of preserving existing green spaces and improving their acoustic quality, considering the equitable distribution of these areas.

This report presents summarised information on the status of air quality in Europe in 2023, based on validated air quality monitoring data officially reported by the member and cooperating countries of the EEA. It aims at informing on the status of ambient air quality in Europe in 2023 and on the progress towards meeting the European air quality standards for the protection of health, as well as the WHO air quality guidelines. The report also compares the air quality status in 2023 with the previous years. The pollutants covered in this report are particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), tropospheric ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), benzene (C6H6) and toxic metals (As, Cd, Ni, Pb). Measured concentrations above the European air quality standards for PM10, PM2.5, O3, and NO2 were reported by 18, 6, 20, and 9 reporting countries for 2022, respectively. Exceedances of the air quality standards for BaP, SO2, CO, and benzene were measured in, respectively, 9, 2, 2, and 0 reporting countries in 2023. Exceedances of European standards for toxic metals were reported by 5 stations for As, none for Cd, 1 for Pb and 2 for Ni.

This report presents summarised information on the status of air quality in Europe in 2024, based on Up-To-Date data (i.e. prior to final quality control) and validated air quality monitoring data officially reported by the member and cooperating countries of the EEA. It aims at giving more timely and preliminary information on the status of ambient air quality in Europe in 2024 for five key air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, O3, NO2 and SO2). The report also gives a preliminary assessment of the progress towards meeting the European air quality standards for the protection of health and the World Health Organization air quality guideline levels, and compares the air quality status in 2024 with the previous years. The preliminary data reported for 2024 shows that 7% and 13% of the monitoring stations exceeded the EU standards for PM10 and O3, respectively. The WHO AQG for PM2.5, PM10, O3 and SO2 were exceeded by 93%, 59%, 98% and 3%, respectively. Exceedances of the NO2 limit value still occur in 7 reporting countries and NO2 WHO AQG occur in all reporting countries.

This report provides an up-to-date assessment of the burden of disease from transportation noise in children and adolescents in Europe. Novel exposure response functions are derived by means of an Umbrella+ review, combining systematic reviews with recent original research. Calculations are conducted for three scenarios: i) using a quantification threshold of 55 dB; ii) using the WHO guidelines as a quantification threshold; and iii) using the identified effect threshold of 45 or 50 dB, respectively. According to scenario i) 564,000 children with reading difficulties, 63,000 children with behavioral problems and 272,000 children with overweight are attributable to transportation noise exposure in Europe. Substantially higher number were found for scenario ii) and iii). A review of intervention studies identified five types of interventions ranging from noise reduction at the source to social interventions including education. Research evaluating the effectiveness of such interventions for children’s health is very limited.

Results of this study are based on literature review, on expertise from Ineris engineers and on a benchmark. The benchmark of existing ELVs/EQSs for PFAS used in industry undertaken for this report is based on feedback from six European countries and five non-European countries, and on monitoring of current projects regarding PFAS. It shows that ELVs in wastewater are mainly set on a case-by-case basis in permits and not at national or regional level. Only France has a national ELV of 25 µg/l for PFOS in wastewater. Current discussions regarding surface-, ground- and drinking water, whether it is a question of setting threshold of compounds (list of individual compounds, “sum of PFAS” or “total PFAS”), measurement standards or monitoring are linked for all matrices. The setting of ELVs for air emissions is less advanced. Regarding monitoring, numerous projects and developments are on-going. State-of-the-art from expert feedback shows that, in water matrix, standards exist for some individual compounds. Development of index methods is currently under study and may enable a different approach to regulation (non-target monitoring). In air matrix, standards are in the early stages of development, and feedback is awaited.

Whereas the processes underlying surface ozone air pollution episodes are relatively well known, the interplay of anthropogenic and biogenic sources related to both short- and long-lived precursors presents a challenge for the identification of optimal mitigation strategies. The most common concern relates to (i) the spatial scale at which emission reduction strategies must be implemented, and (ii) the apparent limited efficiency of past efforts with regards to recent ozone trends. We provide a short synthesis of the recent evidence in relation to (i) ozone formation processes, (ii) trends of ozone in the last few decades, (iii) significance of methane as an ozone precursor, (iv) the impact of climate change on future ozone.

This study assesses progress towards the Zero Pollution Action Plan (ZPAP) goal of reducing microplastic emissions into the environment by 30% by 2030. The lack of consistent EU monitoring data and harmonised analytical methods makes it necessary to define new indicators. Following the European Commission's Impact Assessment Report “Combatting microplastic pollution in the European Union”, this study examines trends from 2016 to 2022 in key sources of microplastics, including tyre abrasion, plastic pellets, paints and textiles and develops qualitative and semi-quantitative analyses. Based on data from Eurostat and sectoral reports, the report defines a composite indicator which shows a 7.5-8.6% increase in emissions over this period. Specifically, indicators for tyre abrasion rose by 12.3%, plastic pellets by 7%, and paint by 5%. Despite uncertainties in estimates, the findings suggest that microplastic emissions have not decreased since 2016, confirming the importance of recent or forthcoming European initiatives to reduce microplastic emissions (REACH restriction, Euro7, etc.).

This report assesses the potential health benefits of reducing noise annoyance from road traffic and railway noise by increasing green space exposure in European agglomerations. Using data from the Environmental Noise Directive (END) and green space availability based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), two scenarios were evaluated: achieving the WHO recommendation for universal access to green spaces (i.e. at least 0.5 hectares within a 300 m or a 5-minute walk from home) or a 10% increase in NDVI. The findings show that increased green space availability could reduce the number of highly noise-annoyed adults by up to 9.6% for road traffic noise and 6.8% for railway noise, potentially preventing almost one million highly annoyed adults in Europe. These results highlight the importance of promoting and enhancing urban green spaces to mitigate noise-related health impacts and improve overall well-being.

This report provides an updated methodology for two scenarios of noise exposure in 2030 as support for the Zero Pollution Action Plan. The scenarios use 2017 as the baseline for people exposed to transport noise sources (inside and outside agglomerations). Since 2019, countries can no longer use their national calculation methods, must change to CNOSSOS-EU, and must adapt the method in which population and receiving points are distributed across the façade of the buildings. Therefore, the exposure data from 2017 is estimated based on backdating reported data in 2022. The data reported and gap filled in 2022 are used as the latest available data and as an intermediate point between 2017 and 2030. Assessment of scenarios follows the same workflow for all noise sources and is based on the change in population exposure due to demographic factors, transport data, and relevant noise abatement measures between 2022 and 2030.

Evidence shows that natural green and blue spaces (e.g. parks, forests, lakes) enhance mental well-being, especially in quiet environments. The Environmental Noise Directive (END) emphasizes preserving quiet areas across Europe's urban and rural settings. This report identifies potential quiet areas in Europe’s countryside. It builds upon an updated version of the Quietness Suitability Index (QSI), initially published by the European Environment Agency in 2016. The index combines two components: objective noise levels and subjective human perceptions of quietness. The revised methodology improves the distance function from noise sources, and the perception component is aligned with the ecosystem services framework. Ultimately, the report highlights the European regions with high potential for quiet areas, hotspots—areas with a low percentage of potential quiet zones—and offers insights for enhancing the management of protected areas.

This report evaluates the health burden due to long-term exposure to PM2.5, NO2, and O3 across Europe in 2022. By analysing all-cause and cause-specific mortality and morbidity, it estimates disease burden using four indicators: Attributable Deaths (AD), Years of Life Lost, Years Lived with Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALY). However, the main results only consider the impact of exposure to levels of pollutants exceeding the current WHO air quality guidelines. The results indicate that PM2.5 contributes the most significant health impact (linked to six diseases), resulting in over 2.7 million DALY across 40 countries, and resulting in 269 000 AD, with mortality rates peaking in Eastern Europe. The report introduces methodological advancements, assessing the long-term impacts of O3 for the first time. Findings underscore the critical need for targeted air quality interventions, as pollution continues to drive significant health losses across the continent, particularly among vulnerable populations.

The report provides the annual update of the European air quality concentration maps and population and vegetation exposure estimates for human health related indicators of pollutants PM10 (annual average, 90.4 percentile of daily means), PM2.5 (annual average), ozone (93.2 percentile of maximum daily 8-hour means, peak season average of maximum daily 8-hour means, SOMO35, SOMO10), NO2 (annual average) and benzo(a)pyrene (annual average), and vegetation related ozone indicators (AOT40 for vegetation and for forests) for the year 2022. The report contains also maps of Phytotoxic ozone dose (PODY) for selected crops (wheat, potato and tomato) and trees (spruce and beech) and NOx annual average map for the same year 2022. The ozone map of peak season average of maximum daily 8-hour means is presented for the first time. The trends in exposure estimates in the period 2005–2022 are summarized. The analysis for 2022 is based on the interpolation of the annual statistics of the 2022 observational data reported by the EEA member and cooperating countries and other voluntary reporting countries and stored in the Air Quality e-reporting database, complemented, when needed, with measurements from additional sources. The mapping method is the Regression – Interpolation – Merging Mapping (RIMM). It combines monitoring data, chemical transport model results and other supplementary data using linear regression model followed by kriging of its residuals (residual kriging). The paper presents the mapping results and gives an uncertainty analysis of the interpolated maps. It also presents concentration change in 2022 in comparison to the five-year average 2017-2021 using the difference maps and exposure estimates.

Tropospheric ozone impacts agricultural crop and timber production entailing significant economic effects for the sector. In the early 2000’s an indicator for calculating this impact was proposed by the expert group in the IPC-Vegetation working in support of the Air Convention. That indicator is based on the phytotoxic ozone dose above a threshold y (PODy). Within the ETC HE and its predecessor ETC/ATNI, annual production of PODy maps started in 2020. To make it more relevant for air quality assessment the ozone flux calculations are not only translated into yield losses in %, but also into yield losses expressed in terms of quantity and economic value. In this present report an impact modelling chain to quantify and monetize the loss in wheat and potato production due to tropospheric ozone exposure for 2022 has been implemented. The sensitivity of the results to the degree of spatialization of the input data was also investigated.

The report presents interim 2023 maps for PM10 annual average, PM2.5 annual average, O3 indicator peak season average of maximum daily 8-hour means, and NO2 annual average. The maps have been produced based on the 2023 non-validated E2a (UTD) data of the AQ e-reporting database, the CAMS Ensemble Forecast modelling data and other supplementary data. Together with the concentration maps, the inter-annual differences between 5-year average 2018-2022 and 2023 are presented (using the 2018-2022 regular and the 2023 interim maps), as well as basic exposure estimates based on the interim maps.

This report highlights the escalating health risks climate change poses to children and adolescents in Europe, a population especially vulnerable due to physiological and developmental factors. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and flooding, are already leading to severe health consequences, including increased cases of heat exhaustion, respiratory illnesses, and mental health issues like anxiety and eco-anxiety. Additionally, the spread of vector-borne diseases is widening, placing children at risk for infections previously confined to warmer regions, while air pollution and allergens are exacerbating respiratory and allergy-related conditions. Nutritional risks are also rising, as climate-related disruptions impact food security and affordability, hindering children’s physical and cognitive development. Projections indicate that today’s youth will face four times more extreme events in their lifetime, underscoring the urgent need for child-focused health and support measures. This report provides essential insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, and educators addressing climate impacts on Europe’s young populations.

The EEA has introduced the European City Air Quality Viewer, a tool to assess and compare air quality in European cities. However, this method provides an incomplete picture of air quality as it relies solely on PM2.5 data from monitoring stations, excluding cities lacking monitoring stations and other relevant pollutants such as NO2 and O3. A promising alternative to the current methodology is proposed to reduce these limitations, offering a comprehensive approach to assessing and comparing health risks linked to exposure to multiple pollutants in urban settings. Leveraging continuous air quality maps and population-weighted concentrations enhances coverage and consistency in risk estimation across cities. Additionally, it allows for ranking based on multiple pollutants, unlike the current method, which focuses solely on PM2.5 levels. This approach integrates mortality risk assessments associated with PM2.5, NO2, and O3 exposure, aligning with the Environmental Burden of Disease assessments published by the ETC HE, together with the EEA.

The aim of this report is to critically evaluate methods to assess the health risk of environmental noise for Europe and propose adaptations to the previously used methodology where necessary. Part I presents a refined methods for noise exposure assessment in Europe. Part 2 presents up-to-date exposure-response associations from an Umbrella+ review. High certainty evidence was found for effects of transportation noise on all-cause mortality, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Additional, evidence is emerging for effects on depression, dementia, overweight, cognitive impairments in adults and children and behavioural problems in children. The new body of evidence shows negative effects due to transport noise at lower levels (Lden=45 dB) than those captured in the European Environmental Noise Directive. In Part 3, proposals for disability weights and quantifying economic costs of health risks are made. The proposed changes of the health risk assessment methods reflect recent progress in noise research.

Analysis of EU Member States’ submissions received under Article 6 of Directive (EU) 2016/2284 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants (NECD). These include policies and measures (PaMs) that the Member States are considering and have selected for adoption in view of fulfilling their emissions reduction commitments.

This report presents summarised information on the status of air quality in Europe in 2023, based on Up-To-Date data (i.e. prior to final quality control) and validated air quality monitoring data officially reported by the member and cooperating countries of the EEA. It aims at giving more timely and preliminary information on the status of ambient air quality in Europe in 2023 for five key air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, O3, NO2 and SO2). The report also gives a preliminary assessment of the progress towards meeting the European air quality standards for the protection of health and the World Health Organization air quality guideline levels, and compares the air quality status in 2023 with the previous years.