The new NEC Directive restricts emissions for five key air pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NO_x); non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs); sulfur dioxide (SO₂); ammonia (NH₃); and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5). These pollutants contribute to poor air quality, which remains the single largest environmental health risk in Europe, causing respiratory and heart problems and shortening lifespans. They also can harm vegetation and sensitive ecosystems.

On the basis of unadjusted emission totals, the following 11 Member States reported exceedances of their NEC Directive national ceilings for one or more pollutants in 2015: Austria; Belgium; Denmark; Finland; France; Germany; Hungary; Ireland; Luxembourg; Spain; and Sweden.

• Six Member States exceeded their NO_x emission ceilings in 2015. Austria, Luxembourg, Ireland and Germany exceeded their NO_x ceilings the most, in percentage terms, by 28%, 19%, 13% and 13%, respectively. In absolute amounts, the largest emitters of NO_x in 2015 were Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain. Between 2014 and 2015, 20 Member States reported emission reductions for NO_x. The total reduction for the aggregated EU emissions amounts to −2.1 % between 2014 and 2015.

• In 2015, six Member States (Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg and Portugal) did not attain their NMVOCs ceilings. The highest exceedance in 2015, in percentage terms, was reported for Ireland (84%). This is due to the recent addition of NMVOC emissions from agriculture into the country’s emission inventory. The largest emitters of NMVOCs in 2015 were Germany, Italy and United Kingdom. Between 2014 and 2015, 10 Member States reported emission reductions for NMVOCs. The aggregated EU emissions increased by just 0.5% between 2014 and 2015.

• Six Member States (Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Spain and Sweden) exceeded their NH₃ ceilings in 2015. The highest exceedances, in percentage terms, were reported for Germany (38%) and Spain (34%). The smallest exceedance was reported for Austria (1%). The largest emitters of NH₃ were Germany, France and Spain. Between 2014 and 2015, eight EU Member States reported emission reductions for NH₃. For the second consecutive year, EU emissions of NH₃ increased, by 1.7 % between 2014 and 2015.

Projected emissions reported by 23 Member States show that 18 do not consider themselves on track towards meeting their reduction commitments set for 2020 for NO_x, NH₃, NMVOCs, SO₂ and/or PM_2.5 on the basis of the policies and measures they currently have in place. Similarly, 22 Member States are not on track to meet one or more of their 2030 commitments.

For the EU as a whole, however, emissions for three pollutants (NMVOCs, SO₂, and fine particulate matter PM_2.5) are already below the EU’s own 2020 emission reduction commitment set for these pollutants. Only NO_x requires a further, more significant, reduction in order to meet the 2020 reduction commitment.

More substantial reductions are still needed for all pollutants if the EU is to achieve its 2030 emission reduction commitments.

NO_x emissions from road transport contribute 39% of the EU emissions total. They are one of the main reasons for the large number of NO_x exceedances since 2010. NO_x reductions from this sector have been lower than originally anticipated over the past two decades, partly because transport has grown more than expected, and partly owing to the larger than expected growth in the number of diesel vehicles that produce higher NO_x emissions than petrol-fuelled vehicles.

The high real-world emissions of NO_x, particularly from diesel passenger cars and vans, have contributed significantly to the share of emissions caused by the road transport sector. The EU’s annual air quality limit value for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is widely exceeded across Europe, and more than 90% of the values above the annual limit value can be observed at traffic monitoring stations.

Six Member States continue to exceed their respective NH₃ ceilings. 94% of NH₃ emissions come from agriculture, mainly from the handling of animal manure and the use of fertilisers. NH₃ emissions have decreased since 1990, but not to anywhere near the same extent as the other pollutants covered by the NEC Directive. A number of technical measures exist to reduce NH₃ emissions. A main reason for the high or even rising NH₃ emissions in some countries is an increasing number of pig or poultry facilities, without implementing measures and/or technologies to limit emissions. NH₃ emissions from agriculture contribute to the formation of PM_2.5 in the atmosphere and can contribute to high-PM episodes in Europe. NH₃ (and NO_x) emissions also contribute to an oversupply of airborne nitrogen in sensitive ecosystems, reducing for example species richness in nutrient-poor grasslands.

—“NEC Directive reporting status 2017 - The need to reduce air pollution in Europe”

The new NEC Directive establishes a process that allows Member States to adjust the reported emissions in their inventories downwards for compliance checking with the emission ceilings if certain conditions are met. Nine Member States have requested their data be adjusted in this manner; the European Commission is presently reviewing the applications. The numbers of exceeded ceilings described in the EEA’s briefing will be lower if these applications are approved later in 2017.