How the health sector can ensure EU Ambient Air Quality Directive transposition

Air pollution is the European Union’s single greatest environmental health threat, contributing to hundreds of thousands of premature deaths each year and billions of euros in health-related costs, from hospitalisations and sick days to rising medication use. It is a major risk factor for chronic diseases including cancer, cardiovascular conditions, and respiratory illness.

The 2024 EU Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) offers a real opportunity to change this picture. By setting stricter limits on key pollutants, strengthening monitoring, and improving how the public—especially vulnerable groups—is informed and warned, the directive could prevent significant suffering and disease while delivering economic benefits the European Commission estimates at seven times the cost of investment. But its promise depends entirely on how well and how quickly it is put into practice: EU member states must complete EU Ambient Air Quality Directive transposition into national law by 11 December 2026, with the new requirements, including stricter legally binding limit values, taking effect on 1 January 2030.

This briefing examines the road ahead for that transposition process, including a snapshot of progress in Germany, Italy, Poland, and Spain. It also sets out recommendations for EU, national and city decision-makers—from avoiding delays in adopting the new limits to tackling socio-economic inequalities in air quality. Finally, it offers practical guidance for doctors, patients and health scientists on how to advocate for swift and full implementation at every level. The urgency to act to prevent ill health remains strong, and the health sector has a unique voice in calling for clean air action.