Europe’s ‘largest annual conference on European Environment Policy’ has begun today (4 June) at The Egg Conference Centre in Brussels.

Running until Friday (7 June), over 3,000 delegates, including scientists, business leaders, environmental advocates and government officials will gather to focus on environmental policy, specifically looking at improving European air quality.

Topics for discussion on today’s agenda include discussing the current state of air quality and the impact of polluted air on human health as well as looking at methods to effectively implement EU air quality rules and reduce risks to human health and the environment.

Participants will hear from the EC’s Commissioner for the Environment, Janez Potoznik, on the main findings in the on-going review of EU air policy and some of the key policy options under consideration. These options are in line with the Commission’s environmental action programme to 2020.

Speaking to The Parliament magazine ahead of the conference, Potoznik said: “Many of the pollutants have been cut down and we are living in much better air quality conditions than we lived in years ago. But... there are some pollutants which are still critical, like particulate matter, ozone and nitrous dioxide, some of which are very much directly connected with human health or with the protection of the environment.

“That’s why we chose 2013 as the year of air, and I think it’s an obvious choice.”

Other topics for discussion include delivering the ‘green economy’, the contribution of the LIFE programme to ‘air quality in the EU: past, present & future’, and decoupling economic growth from air pollution and climate change.

Air quality

According to the European Commission (EC) European Environment Policy has already helped to reduce air pollution over the last two decades, seeing sulphur dioxide – the main cause of acid rain – being cut by more than 80 per cent. However, EC data suggests that people living in some of the most densely populated cities and regions still suffer from very poor air quality, breathing air that exceeds EU limits for particulates, ozone and nitrogen dioxide by a wide margin.

Indeed, the latest study from the World Health Organisation (WHO) links long-term exposure to very fine pollution particles with cardiovascular and respiratory deaths, as well as increased sickness, while the European Commission’s document ‘Cleaner Air for All’ suggests that in 2010, 420,000 people died prematurely from air pollution in the EU.

Further, the January 2013 ‘Attitudes of Europeans towards air quality’ report found that seven out of ten Europeans were unhappy with efforts by public authorities to improve air quality, with four out of five agreeing that the EU should propose stronger measures to address air pollution.

The Green Week Conference 2013 aims to utilise 'cross-border cooperation' to come up with solutions for a cleaner and healthier environment. The Commission plans to make a package of proposals from the results of the conference to help review its current air policy.

As part of Green Week, some 50 events are scheduled to take place outside of Brussels, including in the UK. On 7 June, Leicester will be hosting a workshop on innovative solutions to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality in the region. Anyone can register to attend the forum, which will be streamed live online.

Read more about Green Week 2013.