This afternoon, the European Parliament will vote on a proposal for a directive on the reduction of national emissions of certain pollutants.

GUE/NGL MEPs are calling for the most harmful pollutants to be included in the directive and binding reduction targets for 2025.

Finnish MEP, Merja Kyllönen, told the Parliament: “Air quality in Europe has not achieved the set targets, even though it has been known for a long time already that bad air quality affects human health and the environment.”

“Let us set binding emissions reduction targets for 2025. Let us also include ammonia, methane and mercury to the list of pollutants to be reduced, as well as small particulates, which research has shown to be more harmful.”

“European citizens deserve better from us. Let us do this for them today,” Kyllönen concluded.

Spanish MEP, Estefanía Torres Martínez, added: “It's not enough just to adopt this report. We need to ensure that it is properly enforced. We must call on the European Commission to comply with its tasks and not act as it did in the Volkswagen case. We must ensure that responsibility is taken.”

GUE/NGL Press Contact:
Nikki Sullings  +32 22 83 27 60 / +32 483 03 55 75
Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20