(a) to establish long-term objectives, target values, an alert threshold and an information threshold for concentrations of ozone in ambient air in the Community, designed to avoid, prevent or reduce harmful effects on human health and the environment as a whole; (b) to ensure that common methods and criteria are used to assess concentrations of ozone and, as appropriate, ozone precursors (oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds) in ambient air in the Member States; (c) to ensure that adequate information is obtained on ambient levels of ozone and that it is made available to the public; (d) to ensure that, with respect to ozone, ambient air quality is maintained where it is good, and improved in other cases; (e) to promote increased cooperation between the Member States, in reducing ozone levels, use of the potential of transboundary measures and agreement on such measures.
Directive 2002/3/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2002 relating to ozone in ambient air
Modified by
- Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Councilof 21 May 2008on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, 32008L0050, June 11, 2008
1. "ambient air" means outdoor air in the troposphere, excluding work places; 2. "pollutant" means any substance introduced directly or indirectly by man into the ambient air and likely to have harmful effects on human health and/or the environment as a whole; 3. "ozone precursor substances", means substances which contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, some of which are listed in Annex VI; 4. "level" means the concentration of a pollutant in ambient air or the deposition thereof on surfaces in a given time; 5. "assessment" means any method used to measure, calculate, predict or estimate the level of a pollutant in the ambient air; 6. "fixed measurements" means measurements taken in accordance with Article 6(5) of Directive 96/62/EC; 7. "zone" means part of the territory of a Member State as delimited by it; 8. "agglomeration" means a zone with a population concentration in excess of 250000 inhabitants or, where the population concentration is250000 inhabitants or less, a population density per km2 which for the Member State justifies the need for ambient air quality to be assessed and managed;9. "target value" means a level fixed with the aim, in the long term, of avoiding harmful effects on human health and/or the environment as a whole, to be attained where possible over a given period; 10. "long-term objective" means an ozone concentration in the ambient air below which, according to current scientific knowledge, direct adverse effects on human health and/or the environment as a whole are unlikely. This objective is to be attained in the long term, save where not achievable through proportionate measures, with the aim of providing effective protection of human health and the environment; 11. "alert threshold" means a level beyond which there is a risk to human health from brief exposure for the general population and at which immediate steps shall be taken by the Member States as laid down in Articles 6 and 7; 12. "information threshold" means a level beyond which there is a risk to human health from brief exposure for particularly sensitive sections of the population and at which up-to-date information is necessary; 13. "volatile organic compounds" (VOC) means all organic compounds from anthropogenic and biogenic sources, other than methane, that are capable of producing photochemical oxidants by reactions with nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight.
(a) ensure that up-to-date information on concentrations of ozone in ambient air is routinely made available to the public as well as to appropriate organisations such as environmental organisations, consumer organisations, organisations representing the interests of sensitive population groups and other relevant health care bodies. This information shall be updated on at least a daily basis and, wherever appropriate and practicable, on an hourly basis. Such information shall at least indicate all exceedances of the concentrations in the long-term objective for the protection of health, the information threshold and the alert threshold for the relevant averaging period. It should also provide a short assessment in relation to effects on health. The information threshold and the alert threshold for concentrations of ozone in ambient air are given in Section I of Annex II; (b) make available to the public and to appropriate organisations such as environmental organisations, consumer organisations, organisations representing the interests of sensitive population groups and other relevant health care bodies comprehensive annual reports which shall at least indicate, in the case of human health, all exceedances of concentrations in the target value and the long-term objective, the information threshold and the alert threshold, for the relevant averaging period, and in the case of vegetation, any exceedance of the target value and the long-term objective, combined with, as appropriate, a short assessment of the effects of these exceedances. They may include, where appropriate, further information and assessments on forest protection, as specified in section I of Annex III. They may also include information on relevant precursor substances, in so far as these are not covered by existing Community legislation; (c) ensure that timely information about actual or predicted exceedances of the alert threshold is provided to health care institutions and the population.
(a) the supplementary methods provide an adequate level of information for the assessment of air quality with regard to target values, information and alert thresholds; (b) the number of sampling points to be installed and the spatial resolution of other techniques are sufficient for the concentration of ozone to be established in accordance with the data quality objectives specified in Section I of Annex VII and lead to assessment results as specified in Section II of Annex VII; (c) the number of sampling points in each zone or agglomeration amounts to at least one sampling point per two million inhabitants or one sampling point per 50000 km2 , whichever produces the greater number of sampling points;(d) each zone or agglomeration contains at least one sampling point, and (e) nitrogen dioxide is measured at all remaining sampling points except at rural background stations.
(a) send to the Commission for each calendar year no later than 30 September of the following year the lists of zones and agglomerations referred to in Article 3(2), Article 4(2) and Article 5; (b) send to the Commission a report giving an overview of the situation as regards exceedance of the target values as laid down in section II of Annex I. This report shall provide an explanation of annual exceedances of the target value for the protection of human health. The report shall also contain the plans and programmes referred to in Article 3(3). The report shall be sent no later than two years after the end of the period during which exceedances of the target values for ozone were observed; (c) inform the Commission every three years of the progress of any such plan or programme.
(a) for each month from April to September each year, send to the Commission, on a provisional basis, (i) by no later than the end of the following month, for each day with exceedance(s) of the information and/or the alert threshold, the following information: date, total hours of exceedance, maximum 1 h ozone value(s); (ii) by no later than 31 October each year, any other information specified in Annex III;
(b) for each calendar year no later than 30 September of the following year, send to the Commission the validated information specified in Annex III and the annual average concentrations for that year of the ozone precursor substances specified in Annex VI; (c) forward to the Commission every three years, within the framework of the sectoral report referred to in Article 4 of Council Directive 91/692/EEC OJ L 377, 31.12.1991, p. 48 .(i) information reviewing the levels of ozone observed or assessed, as appropriate, in the zones and agglomerations referred to in Articles 3(2), Article 4(2) and Article 5; (ii) information on any measures taken or planned under Article 4(2), and (iii) information regarding decisions on short-term action plans and concerning the design and content, and an assessment of the effects, of any such plans prepared in accordance with Article 7.
(a) ensure that the information submitted pursuant to paragraph 2(a) is promptly made available by appropriate means and is transmitted to the European Environment Agency; (b) publish annually a list of the zones and agglomerations submitted pursuant to paragraph 1(a) and, by 30 November each year, a report on the ozone situation during the current summer and the preceding calendar year, aiming to provide overviews, in a comparable format, of each Member State's situation, taking into account the different meteorological conditions and transboundary pollution, and an overview of all the exceedances of the long-term objective in the Member States; (c) check regularly the implementation of the plans or programmes submitted pursuant to paragraph 1(b) by examining their progress and the trends in air pollution, taking account of meteorological conditions and the origin of the ozone precursors (biogenic or anthropogenic); (d) take into account the information provided under paragraphs 1 and 2 in preparing three-yearly reports on ambient air quality in accordance with Article 11(2) of Directive 96/62/EC; (e) arrange appropriate exchange of information and experience forwarded in accordance with paragraph 2(c)(iii) regarding the design and implementation of short-term action plans.
(a) the findings of the most recent scientific research, in the light of the World Health Organisation's Guidelines, into the effects of exposure to ozone on the environment and human health, specifically taking into account sensitive population groups; the development of more accurate models shall be taken into account; (b) technological developments, including progress achieved in methods of measuring and otherwise assessing concentrations and evolution of ozone concentrations throughout Europe; (c) comparison of model predictions with actual measurements; (d) the setting of, and levels for, long-term objectives, for target values, for information and alert thresholds; (e) the results on the effects of ozone on crops and natural vegetation of the International Cooperative Programme under UN/ECE Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution.
(a) the broad scope for making further reductions in polluting emissions across all relevant sources, taking account of technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness; (b) relationships between pollutants, and opportunities for combined strategies to achieve Community air quality and related objectives; (c) the potential for further action to be taken at Community level in order to reduce precursor emissions; (d) the progress in implementing the target values in Annex I, including the plans and programmes developed and implemented in accordance with Articles 3 and 4, the experience in implementing short-term action plans under Article 7 and the conditions, as laid down under Annex IV, under which air quality measurement has been carried out; (e) the potential to achieve the long-term objectives, set out in Section III of Annex I, within a specified time period; (f) current and future requirements for informing the public and for the exchange of information between Member States and the Commission; (g) the relationship between this Directive and expected changes resulting from measures to be taken by the Community and Member States in order to fulfil commitments relating to climate change; (h) transport of pollution across national boundaries taking account of measures taken in accession candidate countries.
| Parameter | Target value for 2010 | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Target value for the protection of human health | Maximum daily 8-hour mean | 120 μg/m |
| 2. Target value for the protection of vegetation | AOT40, calculated from 1 h values from May to July |
| Parameter | Long-term objective | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Long-term objective for the protection of human health | Maximum daily 8-hour mean within a calender year | 120 μg/m |
| 2. Long-term objective for the protection of vegetation | AOT40, calculated from 1 h values from May to July |
| Parameter | Threshold | |
|---|---|---|
| Information threshold | 1 hour average | 180 μg/m |
| Alert threshold | 1 hour average | 240 μg/m |
1. information on observed exceedance(s): location or area of the exceedance, type of threshold exceeded (information or alert), start time and duration of the exceedance, highest 1-hour and 8-hour mean concentration;
2. forecast for the following afternoon/day(s): geographical area of expected exceedances of information and/or alert threshold, expected change in pollution (improvement, stabilisation or deterioration);
3. information on type of population concerned, possible health effects and recommended conduct: information on population groups at risk, description of likely symptoms, recommended precautions to be taken by the population concerned, where to find further information;
4. information on preventive action to reduce pollution and/or exposure to it: indication of main source sectors; recommendations for action to reduce emissions.
| Type of station | Level | Averaging/accumulation time | Provisional data for each month from April to September | Report for each year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information threshold | Any | 180 μg/m | 1 hour |
|
|
| Alert threshold | Any | 240 μg/m | 1 hour |
|
|
| Health protection | Any | 120 μg/m | 8 hours |
|
|
| Vegetation protection | Suburban, rural, rural background | AOT40 | 1 hour, accumulated from May to July | — | Value |
| Forest protection | Suburban, rural, rural background | AOT40 | 1 hour, accumulated from April to September | — | Value |
| Materials | Any | 40 μg/m | 1 year | — | Value |
for ozone, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides and the sums of ozone and nitrogen dioxide (added as parts per billion and expressed in μg/m 3 ozone) the maximum, 99.9th, 98th, 50th percentile and annual average and number of valid data from hourly series,the maximum, 98th, 50th percentile and annual average from series of daily 8-hour ozone maxima.
| Parameter | Required proportion of valid data |
|---|---|
| 1 hour values | 75 % (i.e. 45 minutes) |
| 8 hours values | 75 % of values (i.e. 6 hours) |
| Maximum daily 8 hours mean from hourly running 8 hours averages | 75 % of the hourly running 8 hours averages (i.e. 18 8 hours averages per day) |
| AOT40 | 90 % of the 1 hour values over the time period defined for calculating the AOT40 value |
| Annual mean | 75 % of the 1 hour values over summer (April to September) and winter (January to March, October to December) seasons separately |
| Number of exceedances and maximum values per month | |
| Number of exceedances and maximum values per year | five out of six months over the summer season (April to September) |
I. Macroscale siting Sampling points should also, where possible, be representative of similar locations not in their immediate vicinity. Type of station Objectives of measurement Representativeness Macroscale siting criteria Urban Protection of human health :to assess the exposure of the urban population to ozone, i.e. where population density and ozone concentration are relatively high and representative of the exposure of the general population A few km 2 Away from the influence of local emissions such as traffic, petrol stations, etc.; Vented locations where well mixed levels can be measured; Locations such as residential and commercial areas of cities, parks (away from the trees), big streets or squares with very little or no traffic, open areas characteristic of educational, sports or recreation facilities Suburban Protection of human health and vegetation :to assess the exposure of the population and vegetation located in the outskirts of the agglomeration, where the highest ozone levels, to which the population and vegetation is likely to be directly or indirectly exposed, occur Some tens of km 2 At a certain distance from the area of maximum emissions, downwind following the main wind direction/directions during conditions favourable to ozone formation; Where population, sensitive crops or natural ecosystems located in the outer fringe of an agglomeration are exposed to high ozone levels; Where appropriate, some suburban stations also upwind of the area of maximum emissions, in order to determine the regional background levels of ozone Rural Protection of human health and vegetation :to assess the exposure of population, crops and natural ecosystems to sub-regional scale ozone concentrations Sub-regional levels (a few km 2 )Stations can be located in small settlements and/or areas with natural ecosystems, forests or crops; Representative for ozone away from the influence of immediate local emissions such as industrial installations and roads; At open area sites, but not on higher mountaintops Rural background Protection of vegetation and human health :to assess the exposure of crops and natural ecosystems to regional-scale ozone concentrations as well as exposure of the population Regional/national/continental levels ( 1000 to10000 km2 )Station located in areas with lower population density, e.g. with natural ecosystems, forests, far removed from urban and industrial areas and away from local emissions; Avoid locations which are subject to locally enhanced formation of ground-near inversion conditions, also summits of higher mountains; Coastal sites with pronounced diurnal wind cycles of local character are not recommended. For rural and rural background stations, consideration should be given, where appropriate, to coordination with the monitoring requirements of Commission Regulation (EC) No 1091/94 OJ L 125, 18.5.1994, p. 1 .II. Microscale siting The following guidelines should be followed, as far as practicable: 1. The flow around the inlet sampling probe should be unrestricted (free in an arc of at least 270°) without any obstructions affecting the air flow in the vicinity of the sampler, i.e. away from buildings, balconies, trees and other obstacles by more than twice the height the obstacle protrudes above the sampler. 2. In general, the inlet sampling point should be between 1.5 m (the breathing zone) and 4 m above the ground. Higher positions are possible for urban stations in some circumstances and in wooded areas. 3. The inlet probe should be positioned well away from such sources as furnaces and incineration flues and more than 10 m from the nearest road, with distance increasing as a function of traffic intensity. 4. The sampler's exhaust outlet should be positioned so as to avoid recirculation of exhaust air to the sampler inlet.
The following factors may also be taken into account: 1. interfering sources; 2. security; 3. access; 4. availability of electrical power and telephone communications; 5. visibility of the site in relation to its surroundings; 6. safety of public and operators; 7. the desirability of colocating sampling points for different pollutants; 8. planning requirements.
III. Documentation and review of site selection Site selection procedures should be fully documented at the classification stage by such means as compass point photographs of the surroundings and a detailed map. Sites should be reviewed at regular intervals with repeated documentation to ensure that selection criteria are still being met. This requires proper screening and interpretation of the monitoring data in the context of the meteorological and photochemical processes affecting the ozone concentrations measured at the respective site.
| Rural background | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| < | 1 | 1 station/ | |
| < | 1 | 2 | |
| < | 2 | 2 | |
| < | 3 | 3 | |
| < | 3 | 4 | |
| < | 4 | 5 | |
| < | 5 | 6 | |
| > | 1 additional station per 2 million inhabitants | 1 additional station per 2 million inhabitants |
Ethane Ethylene Acetylene Propane Propene n-Butane i-Butane 1-Butene trans-2-Butene cis-2-Butene 1.3-Butadiene n-Pentane i-Pentane 1-Pentene 2-Pentene Isoprene n-Hexane i-Hexane n-Heptane n-Octane i-Octane Benzene Toluene Ethyl benzene m+p-Xylene o-Xylene 1,2,4-Trimeth. benzene 1,2,3-Trimeth. benzene 1,3,5-Trimeth. benzene Formaldehyde Total non-methane hydrocarbons
| For ozone, NO and NO | |
|---|---|
| Uncertainty of individual measurements | 15 % |
| Minimum data capture | |
| Uncertainty of individual measurements | 30 % |
| Minimum data capture | 90 % |
| Minimum time coverage | > 10 % during summer |
| 1 hour averages (daytime) | 50 % |
| 8 hours daily maximum | 50 % |
| Uncertainty | 75 % |
a description of the assessment activities carried out, specific methods used, with references to descriptions of the method, sources of data and information, a description of results, including uncertainties and, in particular, the extent of any area within the zone or agglomeration over which concentrations exceed long-term objectives or target values, for long-term objectives or target values whose object is the protection of human health, the population potentially exposed to concentrations in excess of the threshold.
Analysis method: UV photometric method (ISO FDIS 13964), Calibration method: Reference UV photometer (ISO FDIS 13964, VDI 2468, B1.6).