Abstract:

Despite policymakers’ efforts in past decades, approximately one eighth of the European Union’s urban population is exposed to air pollutant levels exceeding European air quality standards. While this statistic is not particularly alarming, the picture changes when the pollution levels are compared against the World Health Organization’s air quality guidelines: 96% of Europeans living in urban areas are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution. Motor vehicle emissions and their link to air pollution have been recognized as a serious issue. This is not only due to the health effects associated with direct exposure to vehicle emissions, but also, and more importantly, because of their role as precursors for the formation of PM2.5 and ozone at ground level. Cognizant of the role of motor vehicle emissions on the persistent air quality challenges, the European Commission is turning its attention to the development of post-Euro 6 emission standards.