Air quality in Europe 2021

Sources and emissions of air pollutants in Europe

Briefing Published 07 Dec 2021 Last modified 25 Oct 2022

12 min read

Photo: © © Andrzej Bochenski, ImaginAIR /EEA

This chapter reviews the status of emissions of key air pollutants regulated in the European Union (EU) and assesses emissions trends over the period 2005 to 2019. The main economic sectors that contributed to total emissions in 2019 are identified for key pollutants, while reductions in emissions over the period 2005 to 2019 are set against developments in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It also includes an assessment of the relationship between emissions of key air pollutants and their concentrations in ambient air.