The European Environment Agency (EEA) published a report in which shows that twelve Member States exceeded one or more of the emission limits set by the EU National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive, and in some cases, the limits were exceeded by significant amounts.

In 2010, twelve Member States exceeded one or more of the emission limits set by the EU National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive, according to a report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA). These pollutants contribute to health problems and can also lead to economic losses and environmental damage. The EEA data shows that many EU Member States missed the 2010 limits, so these countries will need to make further efforts to help reduce air pollution in Europe. The European Commission adopted in March 2011 a Roadmap for transforming the European Union into a competitive low carbon economy by 2050.

The directive covers four main air pollutants: sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and ammonia (NH3). The pollutant for which most exceedances were registered was NOx. Preliminary analysis shows eleven Member States exceeding their respective NOx ceilings (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden). Followed by Germany with two exceedances, Spain was the only Member State to have exceeded three of its four emission ceilings under the NECD. Finland exceeded its ammonia ceiling.

Contributing approximately 40% of total EU-27 NOx emissions, the road transport sector is one of the main contributory factors behind the large number of NOx exceedances. Reductions of NOx from this sector over the last two decades have not been as large as originally anticipated. This is partly because the sector has grown more than expected and partly because vehicle emission standards have not always delivered the anticipated level of NOx reductions.