Common position on proposed air quality assessment Directive
The Council of the European Union has published its Common Position on the proposed Council Directive on ambient air quality assessment and management. The aim of the proposal is to define principles for defining and establishing objectives for ambient air quality with a view to improving the protection of human health and the environment. In addition, the proposal aims to assess air quality, ensure adequate information is available about air quality, and maintain or improve air quality where necessary. All but three of the amendments in the Commission's revised proposal were incorporated. Essentially, the changes made by the Council are concerned with the clarification and reordering of the text. The Council has included in the text an annex listing 13 pollutants, for which the Commission is to submit proposals for the setting of limit values. These are: sulphur dioxide; nitrogen dioxide; fine particulate matter (e.g. soot); suspended particulate matter; lead; ozone; benzene; poly-aromatic hydrocarbons; carbon monoxide; cadmium; arsenic; nickel; and mercury. The deadlines for the setting of limit values were not brought forward as in the Commission's revised proposal, and therefore the time limit for establishing limits for carbon monoxide and benzene, amongst others, will be 31 December 1999. The proposed Directive will now be returned to the European Parliament for its second reading.