The Council Directive 96/62/EC of 27 September 1996 (OJ NO. L 296, 21/11/1996, P.55-63) is the basis for Europe-wide consistency in air quality assessment and management. It specifies that requirements for the pollutants sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, fine particulate matter, particulate matter, lead and ozone as well as for benzene, carbon monoxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), cadmium, arsenic, nickel and mercury shall be developed by the European Commission. The same limit values (coupled, as appropriate, with a margin of tolerance), target values, long-term objectives or alert thresholds apply throughout the European Union.
- defines and establishes objectives for ambient air quality in the Member States. All efforts must aim at avoiding, preventing or reducting harmful effects on human health and the environment as a whole,
- establishes common methods and criteria for the assessment of ambient air quality in the Member States,
- ensures that adequate information on ambient air quality is collected and is made available to the public, amongst others by means of alert thresholds,
- maintains ambient air quality where it is good and improves it where it is not.
- Publication of 1 October 1998, German Federal Gazette, p. 15126
- 7th Act amending the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) of 11 September 2002, Federal Law Gazette I, p. 3622
- 22nd Ordinance for implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act (Ordinance on immission values for pollutants in ambient air) of 11 September 2002
- 33rd Ordinance for implementation of the Federal Immission Control Act (Ordinance on the reduction of photochemical smog, acidification and nutrient inputs) of 13 July 2004
The daughter directives establish detailed limit values and alert thresholds for different pollutants.
- 1st daughter 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 (OJ EC L 278, p 41-60)
- 2nd daughter directive 2000/69/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 November 2000 relating to limit values for benzene and carbon monoxide in ambient air (OJ EC, L 313, p 12-21)
- 3rd daughter directive 2002/3/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2002 relating to ozone in ambient air (OJ EC, L67, p 14-30)
- 4th daughter directive 2004/107/EG of 15 December 2004 relating to arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in ambient air (OJ EC, L23, p 3 - 16)