A report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows that many parts of Europe have persistent problems with outdoor concentrations of PM and ground level ozone. Overall, almost a third of Europe's city dwellers are exposed to excessive concentrations of airborne particulate matter (PM).

The EEA’s ‘Air quality in Europe 2012 report’ which examines citizens’ exposure to air pollutants and provides a snapshot of air quality in Europe, highlights that almost a third of Europe's city dwellers are exposed to excessive concentrations of airborne particulate matter (PM). The report also shows that many parts of Europe have persistent problems with outdoor concentrations of PM and ground level ozone. In past summer, EEA also presented a tool for protecting EU citizens health from ground-level ozone.

Particulate matter is one of the most important pollutants in terms of harm to human health as it penetrates sensitive parts of the respiratory system. Although the EU has made progress over the past decades to reduce the air pollutants which cause acidification, the report shows how problems persist. In fact, the report estimates that in 2010, 21% of the urban population was exposed to PM10 concentration levels higher than the most stringent, daily, EU limit value designed to safeguard health.

At the same time, 97% of EU urban inhabitants were exposed to Ozone (O3) concentrations above the WHO reference level in 2010. The Ozone (O3) can cause respiratory health problems and lead to premature mortality. However, as a positive note, sulphur dioxide (SO2) is a big success story: emissions have been reduced significantly in recent years thanks to EU legislation requiring the use of emissions scrubbing technology and lower sulphur content in fuels. 2010 was the first year that the EU urban population was not exposed to SO2 concentrations above the EU limit value. The European Commission already announced that is preparing a review of EU air legislation in consultation with stakeholders and will put a particular emphasis on air pollution policies in 2013.