Europe refuses UK air pollution reprieve

Air pollution costs the UK an estimated £20bn a year

Government plans to delay air pollution improvements in 12 UK areas have been refused by the European Commission, which says air quality must improve.

The UK <link> <caption>may now face fines if it fails to improve air quality quickly</caption> <url href="http://ec.europa.eu/environment/air/quality/legislation/pdf/uk2_no2_en.pdf" platform="highweb"/> </link> .

Air pollution reduces average life expectancy in the UK by up to eight months, <link> <caption>according to the government's own statistics</caption> <url href="http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb12654-air-quality-strategy-vol1-070712.pdf" platform="highweb"/> </link> .

But ministers have been slow to meet agreed European standards on cutting levels of the pollutant NO2.

This comes mainly from vehicles. It causes problems with breathing - particularly for people with heart or lung problems.

The UK has been denied permission by the commission to delay air quality improvements in 12 areas - Aberdeen and north-east Scotland; Belfast; Birkenhead; Brighton; Bristol; Liverpool; Preston; Sheffield; south-west England; south Wales; Swansea and Tyneside.

Second-biggest threat

A judgement will be made at a later date on government plans to delay meeting NO2 standards in major cities until 2020 - or in the case of London, 2025.

<link> <caption>London has the worst air of any European capital</caption> <url href="http://cleanairinlondon.org/wp-content/uploads/CAL-178_3_Report-on-trends-in-AQ-in-London-and-EU-Comparison-240412.pdf" platform="highweb"/> </link> , and the UK is likely to be fined over the failure.

Air pollution is recognised by the government as the second-biggest public health threat, after smoking. It costs the UK an estimated £20bn a year - that's more than twice the amount estimated for obesity, which gets far more publicity.

Daniel Instone, giving evidence on behalf of Defra, said ministers were considering a nationwide network of low-emission zones in which the most polluting vehicles were banned.

Simon Birkett, a campaigner from Clean Air in London, said the commission's ruling suggested that such a network would now be inevitable.

NO2 pollution affects long-term health. Experts giving evidence to the Environment Committee, EFRA, said the health of Olympic athletes visiting over the summer should not be harmed as long as the UK avoids a heat-induced smog episode.