Air pollution in Europe — 2026 reporting status under the National Emission reduction Commitments Directive

This briefing describes progress made by the European Union (EU) and its Member States in reducing air pollutant emissions, as regulated by the National Emission reduction Commitments (NEC) Directive (EU/2016/2284). It is based on data reported by EU Member States in 2026 for 2024 emissions.

Key messages

• In 2024, 21 Member States met their 2020-2029 national emission reduction commitments for each of the five main air pollutants — ammonia (NH3), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOX), particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM2.5) and sulphur dioxide (SO2).
• However, six Member States failed to meet their commitments for at least one of the pollutants.
• Reducing NH3 emissions remains the main challenge: four Member States need to cut their emissions further to reach their 2020-2029 reduction commitments.
• The most significant progress has been made in reducing SO2 emissions; 25 Member States have already met their 2030 reduction commitments.
• Meeting the more stringent emission reduction commitments for 2030 and beyond will require considerable effort in most Member States, especially for NH3, NOX and PM2.5.