Review of the European Directive (2008)

The current policy at European and national level has not yet produced the expected results. There are various reasons for this. In traffic, for example, the transport volume has increased, there is a gap between the emission standards established for each vehicle type and the actual emissions, and the planned renovation of the car fleet is taking place more slowly than expected (EU, 2011). This is why the European Commission is currently working on an in-depth review of EU Directive 2008/50/EC, building further on the policy framework set out in the "Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution and Clean Air for Europe (CAFE)" of 2005. The review process includes a public and expert-oriented survey and the creation of an interest group made up of experts from the various member states, European institutions, industry, environmental action groups, etc. In addition, a number of workshops are organised where research institutes can make their contributions and the European Commission is entering into a dialogue with international organisations such as WHO, UNECE and other relevant forums active in the field of air quality. The review is expected to be finalised by the end of 2013. At the same time, the National Emission Ceilings (NEC) Directive (2001/81/EC) will be reviewed, resulting in new emission ceilings being imposed on the various member states.