11 Amendments of Ondřej KNOTEK related to 2020/2091(INI)
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recognises that while the EU Ambient Air Quality (AAQ) Directives have been effective in setting common EU air quality standards and facilitating the exchange of information on air quality, they have failed to effectively reduce air pollution and to curb its adverse effects; draws attention to the fact that a high number of Member States still do not comply with current air quality standards and have not taken enough action to improve air quality and keep exceedances to a minimumdespite the fact that Member States have established and implemented a number of air improving measures; recognises the fact that air pollution has no boundaries and that there is a significant exchange of air pollutants between Member States and also between EU and non-EU countries as noted in the Second Clean Air Outlook; points out that Member States are not able to take any actions regarding emission sources outside their territory; encourages the Commission to take into account the complex nature of air pollution (e.g. the secondary particulate matters formation, global and EU transfer of air pollution) when designing new air quality policy to ensure that appropriate measures are taken on appropriate level;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes that AAQ Directives are based on air quality standards that are now 15 to 20 years old, and that some of them are much weaker than current World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and the levels suggested by the latest scientific evidence on human health impacts; welcomes the commitment made in the European Green Deal to revise air quality standards and align them more closely with WHO standards; stresses the fact that revised air quality standard must be based on a feasibility study and accompanied by a specific set of measures needed for their achievement;
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Stresses the need to guarantee that air quality is being measured by the Member States in appropriate locations and at emissions sources, in order to avoid underestimation of air pollution; calls on the Member StatesCommission to improve their monitoring networks, and on the Commission to enforce the obligations of the Directive in this regard, including by providingpose clearer provisions regarding the monitoring network and provide additional support to Member States in setting up monitoring stations, the training and hiring of experts, and ensuring greater accuracy in inspection, control and monitoring;
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Acknowledges the fact that Member States have established an air quality monitoring network based on common criteria defined by the AAQ Directives, with more than 4 000 monitoring stations and 16 000 sampling points; points out that site location provisions involve multiple criteria and offer a degree of flexibility which can make verification more difficult, and which often generate data that does not provide information on where the highest concentrations of air pollutants occur; urges the Commission to review and establish new mandatory rules for locating monitoring stations and sampling points; stresses that air quality modelling can complement and substitute sampling points therefore the AAQD should incorporate air quality modelling more clearly into the air quality assessment process;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Stresses that the AAQ Directives do not focus on reducing emissions in places where people suffer most from air pollution, or where concentrations are highest, and that concrete action in this area is needed; nNotes that lower socio- economic groups are more exposed to air pollution because they are more likely to live close to sources of heavy pollution, both outdoor, such as traffic and industrial areas, and indoor, such as the combustion of low-quality solid fuels for domestic heating; underlinecalls ion this regard the need to better reflect human exposure to air pollution in EU law, and urges the Commission to include new indicators e Commission to offer additional financial support specifically aimed at low income citizens to improve their wellbein g air quality indices, snd help to reduche asir populallution density around monitoring stations and sampling pointin their communities;
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Notes that confinement measures to control the spread of pandemic led to a drastic decrease in emissions and air pollution (except of household heating) , thus clearly showing the impact of human activities on the environment; notes with regret that continuous exposure to air pollution may worsen the impact of respiratory viruses such as COVID-19; underlines that fighting air pollution must be at the core of the EU recovery plan, and that mandatory and effectively enforced air quality requirements are key to guaranteeing citizens’ health and improving their resilience against future health threats;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
Paragraph 9
9. Welcomes the announcement of the Commission’s Zero Pollution Action Plan; emphasises that air pollution is a burden that requires a holistic approach; alerts that any new measures will be worthless if air quality is not properly prioritised and mainstreamed in all EU policies, including EU emission source legislation, such as on climate, energy, transport, industry, agriculture and waste, while ensuring better synergies between all policy areas; calls on the Commission and the Member States to cooperate more closely in all areas and at all levels in order to help local authorities achieve cleaner air;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Urges the Commission and the Member States to strengthen all emissions legislation; underlines that reducing emissions at source is the only effective way to guarantee clean air; alerts that most Member States will not comply with their 2020 and 2030 emissions reduction commitments established under the NEC directive; stresses the need for stringent measures to reduce transport emissions, particularly road and maritime transport, aviation, industrial installations, agriculture and energy production and the need to incorporate the EU air quality and emission standards into the trade policy to prevent transfer of emissions outside EU which would further exacerbate the effect of transboundary air pollution on the EU air quality while reducing the competitiveness of the EU companies;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. RPoints out that the Commission does not analyse nor give any feedback to the AQPs, especially their measures, reported by Member States; notes that proper and critical feedback to the reported AQPs could help Member States to design better AQPs with more effective measures and it could prevent noncompliance with air quality standards; regrets the fact that the AAQ Directive neither requires Member States to report on the implementation of AQPs to the Commission nor to update them when new measures are adopted or when the progress is insufficient; calls on the Commission to establish a yearly reporting obligation for the implementation of AQPs;
Amendment 208 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Alerts that as of October 2019, 32 infringement procedures against 20 Member States remained pending; considers that persistent exceedances of air quality standards by Member States indicate their lack of commitment to adopting more effective measures, and the ineffectiveness of the current enforcement procedure; urges the Commission to review the current enforcement procedure for the AAQ Directives;
Amendment 220 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Stresses that information on the possible health effects of air pollution provided by Member States is scarce, unclear and not easily accessible for the public; calls on the Commission and Member States to launch public information campaigns on topics such as different types of air pollutants and their impact on human health or current local levels of air pollution, and to publish rankings of the best and least progress made by air quality zones;