Ground-level ozone (O₃) is a secondary photochemical pollutant formed through complex reactions involving its precursors. It is regarded as the most phytotoxic common air pollutant, impairing crop productivity and forest vitality. The European Directives 2008/50/EC and its revision 2024/2881/EC apply the AOT40 index to assess O₃ risk to vegetation. However, scientific consensus indicates that stomatal O₃ uptake better reflects vegetation injury than ambient O₃ exposure. This paper examines the potential integration of the Phytotoxic Ozone Dose (PODY) metric for (semi-)natural vegetation under ETC HE, following its previous implementation for crops and forest trees. POD maps were developed for (semi-)natural vegetation represented by temperate perennial grasslands in the Boreal, Atlantic, Continental, Steppic, and Pannonian regions, and for annual pastures in the Mediterranean. Calculations were performed using routines originally developed by INERIS and modified by CHMI, following the methodology of the Manual on Methodologies and Criteria for Modelling and Mapping Critical Loads and Levels and Air Pollution Effects, Risks, and Trends under the UNECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution (CLRTAP, 2024). The routine production of POD1 maps for (semi-)natural vegetation is technically achievable.
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