EU agrees measures to combat ground-level ozone
October 10, 2000
LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) -- European Union governments agreed on
Tuesday to set strict limits on ground-level ozone pollution, in
an attempt to cut respiratory health problems like asthma which
can be triggered by the traffic-related pollutant.
The draft law, agreed by environment ministers from all 15 EU
countries, sets out pollution levels when the public authorities
must inform the population that ozone concentrations are posing a
threat to health.
It also sets a voluntary target that ozone concentrations must
not be badly breached more than 25 times a year from 2010.
The draft law now returns to the European Parliament which has
called for the limits to be made binding, a proposal dismissed by
governments which say it is impossible to have complete control
over ozone levels which can be caused by pollution generated in
other countries.
EU Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom told a news
conference: "We would have liked to see more ambitious limit
values but we think the Council (of Ministers) reached a good
compromise."
Ground-level ozone is formed by the reaction of nitrogen oxides
and volatile organic compounds, mostly from traffic emissions and
industry. The EU agreed a law earlier this year to set binding
ceilings on these emissions.
Article by Reuters
SOURCE: CNN
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