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Policy Document

Directive 2001/81/EC, national emission ceilings

Policy Document
Directive 2001/81/EC, on nation al emissions ceilings (NECD) for certain atmospheric pollutants. Emission reduction targets for the new EU10 Member States have been specified in the Treaty of Accession to the European Union 2003  [The Treaty of Accession 2003 of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia. AA2003/ACT/Annex II/en 2072] in order that they can comply with the NECD.

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Related indicators

Indicator Specification Industrial pollution in Europe This indicator provides an overview of industrial pollution in Europe. This includes the contribution of industry to air and water emissions, soil contamination and waste generation. Trends in industrial pollutant releases to air and water, and industrial transfers of waste are also highlighted.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Exposure of Europe's ecosystems to acidification, eutrophication and ozone This indicator shows the negative impact of air pollution on ecosystems and vegetation in Europe. In particular, it shows: ecosystem areas with exceedances of the critical loads for acidification and eutrophication; and exposure of areas covered with vegetation (crops and forests) to ground-level ozone, the latest available rural concentrations of ozone and the annual variation of rural concentrations of ozone  at the European level . In the case of acidification and eutrophication, the area as well as the magnitude of critical load exceedances in ecosystems are shown. A critical load is a quantitative estimate of an exposure to one or more pollutants, below which significant harmful effects on specified sensitive elements of the environment do not occur according to present knowledge (ICP on Modelling and Mapping, 2015; UNECE, 2015). It represents the upper limit of one or more pollutants deposited on the Earth's surface that an ecosystem, such as a lake or a forest, can tolerate without its function (e.g. the nutrient nitrogen cycle) or its structure (e.g. with respect to plant species' richness) being damaged. A positive difference between the deposition loads of acidifying and/or eutrophying airborne pollutants and the critical loads is termed an 'exceedance'. In the case of ozone, the risk is estimated by reference to either a target value and a long-term objective, or to the 'critical level' for ozone for each location. The target value and the long-term objective are levels fixed with the aim of avoiding, preventing or reducing harmful effects on the environment. For ozone, the critical level is a concentration in the atmosphere, above which direct adverse effects on receptors, such as human beings, plants, ecosystems or materials, may occur according to present knowledge (ICP on Modelling and Mapping, 2015; UNECE, 2015).   
Indicator Specification Exposure of ecosystems to acidification, eutrophication and ozone This indicator shows the negative impact of air pollution on ecosystems and vegetation in Europe. In particular, it shows: ecosystem areas with exceedances of the critical loads for acidification and eutrophication; and exposure of areas covered with vegetation (crops and forests) to ground-level ozone, last year's rural concentrations of ozone, and the annual variation at the European level of rural concentrations of ozone.   In the case of acidification and eutrophication, the area as well as the magnitude of critical load exceedances in ecosystems are shown. A critical load is a quantitative estimate of an exposure to one or more pollutants, below which significant harmful effects on specified sensitive elements of the environment do not occur according to present knowledge (ICP on Modelling and Mapping, 2015; UNECE, 2015). It represents the upper limit of one or more pollutants deposited on the Earth's surface that an ecosystem, such as a lake or a forest, can tolerate without its function (e.g. the nutrient nitrogen cycle) or its structure (e.g. with respect to plant species' richness) being damaged . A positive difference between the deposition loads of acidifying and/or eutrophying airborne pollutants and the critical loads is termed an 'exceedance'. In the case of ozone, the risk is estimated by reference to the 'critical level' for ozone for each location. This is a concentration of ozone in the atmosphere, above which direct adverse effects on receptors, such as human beings, plants, ecosystems or materials, may occur according to present knowledge (ICP on Modelling and Mapping, 2015; UNECE, 2015). 
Indicator Specification
Archived
Energy-related emissions of acidifying substances Emissions of SO 2 and NOx (also NH 3 where applicable) in 1000 tonnes.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Energy-related emissions of particulate matter Combination of primary PM 10 and PM 2.5 emission data.   PM 10 definition: "PM 10 " shall mean particulate matter which passes through a size-selective inlet with a 50 % efficiency cut-off at 10 μm aerodynamic diameter (Air Quality Framework Directive, first Daughter Directive, article 2 (11) - (Council Directive 1999/30/EC of 22 April 1999 relating to limit values for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter and lead in ambient air, Official Journal L 163 , 29/06/1999 P. 0041 - 0060):
Indicator Specification
Archived
Energy-related emissions of acidifying substances Emissions of SO 2 and NOx (also NH 3 where applicable) in 1000 tonnes.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Energy-related emissions of ozone precursors  TOFP is the Tropospheric Ozone Forming Potential of each of the air pollutants that contribute to ozone formation in the troposphere i.e. ‘ground-level’ ozone.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Emissions from public electricity and heat production - explanatory indicators (ENER 009) Historical emissions of CO2, NOX and SO2 from the common reporting format category 1A1a Public electricity and heat production. Output from public thermal power stations covers gross electricity generation and any heat also produced by public thermal power stations. Public thermal power stations generate electricity and/or heat for sale to third parties, as their primary activity. They may be privately or publicly owned. The gross electricity generation is measured at the outlet of the main transformers, i.e. the consumption of electricity in the plant auxiliaries and in transformers is included.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Energy-related emissions of particulate matter Combination of primary PM10 data, and emissions of secondary PM10 precursors (SO2 and NOx and NH3) weighted using aerosol formation factors (according to de Leeuw, 2002) NOx = 0.88, SO2 = 0.54 and NH3 = 0.64. Gaps in reported data have been filled by EEA/ETC-ACC where necessary using simple interpolation techniques. PM10 definition: "PM10" shall mean particulate matter which passes through a size-selective inlet with a 50 % efficiency cut-off at 10 μm aerodynamic diameter (Air Quality Framework Directive, first Daughter Directive, article 2 (11) - (Council Directive 1999/30/EC of 22 April 1999 relating to limit values for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter and lead in ambient air, Official Journal L 163 , 29/06/1999 P. 0041 - 0060):
Indicator Specification
Archived
Energy-related emissions of ozone precursors Emissions of TOFP in terms of NMVOC Equivalent. TOFP is the Tropospheric Ozone Forming Potential of each of the air pollutants that contribute to ozone formation in the troposphere i.e. ‘ground-level’ ozone.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Energy-related emissions of acidifying substances Emissions of combined SO2 and NOx (also NH3 where applicable) in 1000 tonnes acid equivalents. Gaps filled by EEA/ETC-ACC where necessary using simple interpolation techniques
Indicator Specification
Archived
Emissions of ozone precursors This indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of ozone precursor pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NO X ), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH 4 ) and non methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs). The indicator also provides information on emissions by sectors: Energy production and distribution; Energy use in industry;, Industrial processes; Road transport; Non-road transport; Commercial, institutional and households; Solvent and product use; Agriculture; Waste; Other. Geographical coverage: EEA-32. The EEA-32 country grouping includes countries of the EU-27 (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) EFTA-4 (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway) and Turkey. Temporal coverage: 1990-2010.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Emissions of primary PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter This indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of primary particulate matter less than 2.5 µm (PM 2.5 ) and 10 µm (PM 10 ) respectively, and secondary particulate matter precursors (nitrogen oxides (NO X ), ammonia (NH 3 ), and sulphur dioxide (SO 2 )). The indicator also provides information on emissions by sectors: Energy production and distribution; Energy use in industry; Industrial processes; Road transport; Non-road transport; Commercial, institutional and households; Solvent and product use; Agriculture; Waste; Other. Geographical coverage: EEA-32. The EEA-32 country grouping includes countries of the EU-27 (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) EFTA-4 (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway) and Turkey. Temporal coverage: 1990-2010.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Emissions of acidifying substances The indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of the acidifying pollutants nitrogen oxides (NO X ) , ammonia (NH 3 ), and sulphur oxides (SO X as SO 2 ). The indicator also provides information on emissions by sectors: Energy production and distribution; Energy use in industry;, Industrial processes; Road transport; Non-road transport; Commercial, institutional and households; Solvent and product use; Agriculture; Waste; Other. Geographical coverage: EEA-32. The EEA-32 country grouping includes countries of the EU-27 (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) EFTA-4 (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway) and Turkey. Temporal coverage: 1990-2010.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions This indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of nitrogen oxides. The indicator also provides information on emissions by sectors: energy production and distribution; energy use in industry; industrial processes; road transport; non-road transport; commercial, institutional and households; solvent and product use; agriculture; waste; other. Geographical coverage: EEA-32. The EEA-32 country grouping includes countries of the EU-27 (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) EFTA-4 (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway) and Turkey. Temporal coverage: 1990-2010
Indicator Specification Sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions The indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of sulphur dioxide. The indicator also provides information on emissions by sector: energy production and distribution; energy use in industry;, industrial processes; road transport; non-road transport; commercial, institutional and households; solvent and product use; agriculture; waste; other. Geographical coverage: EEA-32. The EEA-32 country grouping includes countries of the EU-27 (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) EFTA-4 (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway) and Turkey. Temporal coverage: 1990-2010
Indicator Specification
Archived
EEA-32 Non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) emissions The indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds (NMVOCs). The indicator also provides information on emissions by sectors: Energy industries; road and other transport; industry (processes and energy); other (energy); fugitive emissions; waste; agriculture and other (non energy). Geographical coverage: EEA-32. The EEA-32 country grouping includes countries of the EU-27 (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) EFTA-4 (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway) and Turkey. Temporal coverage: 1990-2007
Indicator Specification
Archived
EEA-32 ammonia (NH3) emissions The indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of ammonia. The indicator also provides information on emissions by sectors: Energy industries; road and other transport; industry (processes and energy); other (energy); fugitive emissions; waste; agriculture and other (non energy). Geographical coverage: EU-27 for comparison with EU National Emission Ceilings Directive. Other analyses include data for EFTA-4 (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway) and FYR of Macedonia, Croatia and Turkey. The EEA-32 country grouping includes EU-27, EFTA-4 and Turkey. Temporal coverage: 1990-2007
Indicator Specification
Archived
EEA-32 Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions The indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of nitrogen oxides. The indicator also provides information on emissions by sectors: Energy industries; road and other transport; industry (processes and energy); other (energy); fugitive emissions; waste; agriculture and other (non energy). G eographical coverage: EEA-32. The EEA-32 country grouping includes countries of the EU-27 (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) EFTA-4 (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway) and Turkey. Temporal coverage: 1990-2007
Indicator Specification
Archived
EEA-32 Sulphur dioxide SO2 emissions The indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of Sulphur Dioxide . The indicator also provides information on emissions by sectors: Energy industries; road and other transport; industry (processes and energy); other (energy); fugitive emissions; waste; agriculture and other (non energy). Geographical coverage: EEA-32. The EEA-32 country grouping includes countries of the EU-27 (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) EFTA-4 (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway) and Turkey. Temporal coverage: 1990-2007
Indicator Specification
Archived
Exposure of ecosystems to acidification, eutrophication and ozone The indicator shows the ecosystem or crops areas at risk of exposure to harmful effects of ozone as a consequence of air pollution, and shows the state of change in acidification, eutrophication and ozone levels of the European environment. The risk is estimated by reference to the 'critical level' for ozone for each location, this being a quantitative estimate of the exposure to these pollutants below which significant and harmful effects do not occur in the long term at present knowledge. The fraction of agricultural crops that is potentially exposed to ambient air concentrations of ozone in excess of the EU target value and long-term objective set for the protection of vegetation is also shown. Eutrophication and acidification Critical loads of acidity and of nutrient nitrogen are employed to describe exposure to acidification and to eutrophication for forests and semi-natural areas in Europe, including Natura 2000 sites. The area where the deposition of acidifying and eutrophying pollutants is in exceedance of critical loads provides also an indication of the extent of European ecosystem area which is at risk of damage to biodiversity. By analysing the change of exceedances over time (comparative static analysis) an indication of the effects of changing air pollutant emissions over time is obtained. The magnitude of the exceedance (deposition minus critical load) is an important input to the dynamic modelling of time delays in damage. Inversely, once critical loads are no longer exceeded, recovery may take some time as well. By including the risk to be met within a legislative target and year the distance from this target can be evaluated. Ozone AOT40 is 'Accumulated ozone exposure over a threshold of 40 ppb'. The indicator shows the ecosystem or crop areas at risk of exposure to harmful levels of ozone as a consequence of air pollution. The risk is estimated by referring to the 'critical level' of ozone for sensitive areas. Thus, the indicator is a quantitative estimate of the exposure to ozone below which significant and harmful effects do not occur in the long term according to present knowledge. The fraction of agricultural crops that is potentially exposed to ambient air concentrations of ozone in excess of the EU target value set for the protection of vegetation is also shown.
Indicator Specification
Archived
AGRI_F03: Gross nutrient balance - outlook from EEA Definition: The indicator 'gross nutrient balance' estimates the potential surplus of nutrients such as nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and potassium (K) on agricultural land. This is done by calculating the balance between a nutrient added to an agricultural system and the nutrient removed from the system per hectare of agricultural land. The indicator should accounts for all inputs to and outputs from the farm. The inputs consists of the amount of nutrient (N, P or K) applied via mineral fertilisers and animal manure as well as a nutrient fixation by legumes, deposition from the air, and some other minor sources. Nutrient output is contained in the harvested crops, or grass and crops eaten by livestock (escape of nutrients to the atmosphere, e.g. for nitrogen as N 2 O, is difficult to estimate and therefore is usually not taken into account). This outlook indicator presents trends of the potential surpluses of nutrient (nitrogen, phosphate and potassium) by showing the expected change in nutrient balance from 2001 to 2020. Model Used: CAPSIM Ownership: European Environmental Agency (EEA) Temporal coverage: 2001-2020 Geographical coverage: EU15: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, spain, Sweden, United Kingdom; EU-8: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia
Indicator Specification
Archived
APE_F03: Emissions of ozone precursors - outlook from LRTAP Definition: Generally, the indicator 'emissions of ozone precursors' tracks trends in anthropogenic emissions of ozone precursors such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, methane and non methane volatile organic compounds, each weighted by their tropospheric ozone-forming potential. This outlook provides information for nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO). methene (CH4), and Volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Each of the substances presented in total volume from all pollution sources and by sector: power plants, industry, domestic, road transport, off-road, and flaring and waste incineration. Model used: GAINS/RAINS, EMEP Ownership: UNECE Convention on Long range Transboudary Air Pollutants  Temporal coverage: 2000, 2030 Geographical coverage:  EU-27: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia; By country: Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom.
Indicator Specification
Archived
APE_F02: Emissions of acidifying substances - outlook from WBCSD Definition: In general, the indicator 'emissions of acidifying pollutants' tracks trends in anthropogenic emissions of acidifying substances such as nitrogen oxides, ammonia, and sulphur dioxide, each weighted by their acidifying potential. Outlook form IEA/SMP model provides information only for emissions of nitrogen oxides from transport sector. Model used: IEA/SMP Ownership:  World Business Council for Sustainable Development  Temporal coverage: 1990 - 2050 Geographical coverage: OECD Europe: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom; OECD North America: USA, Canada, Mexico; Former Soviet Union: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan Eastern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro; India; China
Indicator Specification
Archived
Fertilizer consumption - outlook from EEA Definition: The indicator "use of fertilizers' is presented as total amount of mineral fertilizers used per unit of agricultural land. Total fertiliser consumption refers to the total sum of nitrogen (N), phosphate (P2O5) and potash (K2O) used in agriculture. The time reference is generally the crop year (July through June). Model used: CASPIM Temporal coverage: 2001 - 2020 Geographical coverage: EU 15 : Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom; EU 8 : Czech republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia
Indicator Specification
Archived
APE_F04: Emissions of ozone precursors - outlook from WBCSD Definition: Generally the indicator 'emissions of ozone precursors'  tracks projected trends in anthropogenic emissions of ozone precursors: nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, methane and non methane volatile organic compounds, each weighted by their tropospheric ozone-forming potential. The outlook form IEA/SMP model provides information only for nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide in transport sector. Model used: IEA/SMP Ownership:  World Business Council for Sustainable Development  Temporal coverage: 2000 - 2050 Geographical coverage: OECD Europe: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom; OECD North America: USA, Canada, Mexico; Former Soviet Union: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan Eastern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro; India; China
Indicator Specification
Archived
Exceedances of air quality objectives due to traffic This indicator compares concentrations of pollutants at background stations to those at traffic stations. This comparison provides an estimate of the increased levels of air pollution to which the population is exposed in areas with increased road traffic. It also provides a measure of the impact of the technical and non-technical measures adopted to reduce the road transport sector's contribution to observed concentrations.  The indicator makes use of the data submitted to Airbase. Data permitting, pan-European coverage is attempted and the indicator focuses on selected station pairs (traffic and urban background stations) from capital cities across Europe. Where data in capital cities are not available, the next largest city is chosen.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Transport emissions of air pollutants The indicator is based on the emission trend assessment of CO, CH 4 , NH 3 , NO x , NMVOCs, SO x and primary particulates. These substances are grouped into acidifying substances (NO x , SO x and NH 3 ), particulates (primary: PM 10, PM 2.5 , secondary: NO x , SO x and NH 3 ) and ozone precursors (CH 4 , CO, NMVOC and NO x ). The assessment is made for the total transport sector.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Exceedance of air quality limit values in urban areas The indicator shows the fraction of the urban population that is potentially exposed to ambient air [1] concentrations of pollutants [2] in excess of the EU limit value set for the protection of human health. The urban population considered is the total number of people living in cities with at least one monitoring station at a background location. The population data applied for the indicator derives from the Urban Audit , which is conducted at the initiative of the Directorate-General for Regional Policy at the European Commission, in cooperation with Eurostat and the national statistical offices of the 27 current Member States. Currently, the Urban Audit involve more than 620 European cities in 30 EEA member countries. The Urban Audit contains data for over 250 indicators across nine domains (e.g. demography, social aspects, environment, travel and transport). The Urban Audit aims at a balanced and representative sample of cities in Europe. To obtain such a selection, a few simple rules are applied: 1. Approximately 20% of the national population should be covered by the Urban Audit. 2. All capital cities were included. 3. Where possible, regional capitals were included. 4. Both large (more than 250 000 inhabitants) and medium-sized cities (minimum 50 000 and maximum 250 000 inhabitants) were included. 5. The selected cities should be geographically dispersed within each Member State. The selection of cities was prepared in close collaboration between the Directorate-General for Regional Policy, Eurostat and the national statistical institutes. To ensure that large and medium-sized cities are equally represented in the Urban Audit, in some of the larger Member States not all large cities could be included. The Urban Audit works with three different spatial levels: the core city, the larger urban zone (LUZ) and the sub-city district (SCD). For CSI 004 only the the core city level is considered, which is the most important level. To ensure that this level is directly relevant to policy makers and politicians, political boundaries were used to define the city level. In many countries these boundaries are clearly established and well-known. As a result, for most cities the boundary used in the Urban Audit corresponds to the general perception of that city. Due to the highly diverse nature of political boundaries in the European Union, for some cities the political boundary does not correspond to the general perception of that city. In a few cities, Dublin for example, the political boundary of the city is narrower than the general perception of that city. Exceedance of air quality limit values occurs when the concentration of air pollutants exceeds the limit values specified in the first Daughter Directive of the Air Quality Framework Directive for SO 2 , PM 10 [3], NO 2 and the target values for O 3 as specified in the third Daughter Directive. Where there are multiple limit values (see section on Policy Targets), the indicator uses the most stringent case: Sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ): the daily limit value; Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ): the annual limit value; Particulate matter (PM 10 ): the daily limit value; Ozone (O 3 ): the target value. [1] 'Ambient air' shall mean outdoor air in the troposphere, excluding work places. [2] 'pollutant' shall mean 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] 'PM 10 ' shall mean particulate matter which passes through a size-selective inlet with a 50 % efficiency cut-off at 10 microgram aerodynamic diameter.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Emissions of ozone precursors This indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of ozone precursor pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NO x ), carbon monoxide (CO), methane (CH 4 ) and non methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), each weighted by their respective tropospheric ozone-forming potential. The indicator also provides information on the sources of emissions from a number of sectors: Energy industries; road and other transport; industry (processes and energy); other (energy); fugitive emissions; waste; agriculture and other (non energy).
Indicator Specification
Archived
Emissions of primary particles and secondary particulate matter precursors This indicator tracks trends in emissions of primary particulate matter less than 10 m m (PM 10 ) and secondary particulate matter precursors (nitrogen oxides (NO x ) , ammonia (NH 3 ), and sulphur dioxide (SO 2 )), each weighted by their respective particulate matter formation potential factor. The indicator also provides information on the sources of emissions from a number of sectors: energy industries; road and other transport; industry (processes and energy); other (energy); fugitive emissions; waste; agriculture and other (non energy).
Indicator Specification
Archived
Emissions of acidifying substances (version 2) The indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of the acidifying pollutants nitrogen oxides (NO x ) , ammonia (NH 3 ), and sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ), each weighted by their respective acidifying potential factor. The indicator also provides information on the sources of emissions from a number of sectors: Energy industries; road and other transport; industry (processes and energy); other (energy); fugitive emissions; waste; agriculture and other (non energy).
Indicator Specification
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Exceedance of air quality limit values in urban areas (version 1) The indicator shows the fraction of the urban population that is potentially exposed to ambient air (1) concentrations of pollutants (2) in excess of the EU limit value set for the protection of human health. The urban population considered is the total number of people living in cities with at least one monitoring station. Exceedance of air quality limit values occurs when the concentration of air pollutants exceeds the limit values specified in the first Daughter Directive of the Air Quality Framework Directive for SO 2 , PM 10 (3), NO 2 and the target values for O 3 as specified in the third Daughter Directive. Where there are multiple limit values (see section on Policy Targets), the indicator uses the most stringent case: Sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ): the daily limit value; Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ): the annual limit value; Particulate matter (PM 10 ): the annual limit value; Ozone (O 3 ): the short term objective.   (1) "Ambient air" shall mean outdoor air in the troposphere, excluding work places. (2) "pollutant" shall mean 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) "PM 10 " shall mean particulate matter which passes through a size-selective inlet with a 50 % efficiency cut-off at 10 m g aerodynamic diameter.
Indicator Specification
Archived
Emissions of ozone precursors (version 1) This indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of ozone precursors: Nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, methane and non methane volatile organic compounds, each weighted by their tropospheric ozone-forming potential. The indicator also provides information on emissions by sectors: Energy industries; road and other transport; industry (processes and energy); other (energy); fugitive emissions; waste; agriculture and other (non energy).
Indicator Specification
Archived
Emissions of primary particles and secondary particulate matter precursors This indicator tracks trends in emissions of primary particulate matter less than 10 m m (PM 10 ) and secondary precursors, aggregated according to the particulate formation potential of each precursor considered [1]. The indicator also provides information on changes in emissions from the main source sectors.   [1] de Leeuw, (2002), A set of emission indicators for long-range transboundary air pollution, Environmental Science & Policy, Volume 5, Issue 2, April 2002, Pages 135-145. ( http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6VP6-44HYMJ7-1/1/d6e469ff7969874250c6d0f656a8c76b ) (supported by the European Topic Centre on Air and Climate Change, under contract to the European Environment Agency)
Indicator Specification
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Emissions of acidifying substances (version 1) The indicator tracks trends since 1990 in anthropogenic emissions of acidifying substances: Nitrogen oxides, ammonia, and sulphur dioxide, each weighted by their acidifying potential. The indicator also provides information on emissions by sectors: Energy industries; road and other transport; industry (processes and energy); other (energy); fugitive emissions; waste; agriculture and other (non energy).
Indicator Specification
Archived
Gross nutrient balance The indicator estimates the potential surplus of nitrogen on agricultural land. This is done by calculating the balance between nitrogen added to an agricultural system and nitrogen removed from the system per hectare of agricultural land. The indicator accounts for all inputs to and outputs from the farm. The inputs consists of the amount of nitrogen applied via mineral fertilisers and animal manure as well as nitrogen fixation by legumes, deposition from the air, and some other minor sources. Nitrogen output is contained in the harvested crops, or grass and crops eaten by livestock (escape of nitrogen to the atmosphere, e.g. as N 2 O, is difficult to estimate and therefore not taken into account).

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