Latest ETC Reports (included in homepage)

The EU Emissions Trading System in numbers

This report evaluates the environmental burden of disease (EBD) linked to long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3) across 41 European countries in 2023. Using the key health indicators—attributable deaths, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life years—the analysis quantifies the health impacts of air pollution above concentrations defined as the World Health Organisation’s air quality guideline levels. Approximately 206,000 deaths are attributable to PM2.5, while about 56,000 and 71,000 deaths area attributable to NO2 and O3, respectively. The disease burden from PM2.5 was highest due to its association with multiple health outcomes, with high baseline prevalence and mortality. Results highlight strong regional disparities, with South-Eastern Europe most affected by health effects from PM2.5 and NO2, and Southern Europe by those from O3. Findings underscore the need for targeted policies to reduce pollutant-specific health impacts in Europe.

Monitoring air quality around airports and nearby cities is crucial to understanding the role of emissions from air traffic and other airport activities. This report analyses air quality in 23 European airports, revealing limited observations in and around airport areas. Only three of the 23 airports had at least one air quality sampling point for NO2, PM2.5 and O3 inside the airport area. Concentrations in nearby cities can be up to double (NO2), 57% higher (PM2.5) and 85% higher (O3) when the wind comes from the airport. EEA air quality maps showed higher annual mean NO2 concentrations in airport areas compared to surrounding regions, with one airport above the 2030 limit value of 20 µg/m³. Annual mean PM2.5 concentrations were also higher in airport areas, with six airports exceeding the revised limit value. The limited number of sampling points makes it challenging to assess trends in NO2, PM2.5 and O3 concentrations. A final chapter of the report presents an overview of available measurements and studies of ultra fine particles (UFP) in the vicinity of airports.