Air quality in Europe has improved steadily over the past two decades, but the European Commission’s latest report warns that pollution still poses a “serious risk” to both human health and ecosystems. The Fourth Clean Air Outlook, released on 3 March 2025, shows that while emissions of several key pollutants are declining thanks to strong EU policies, progress is uneven, and ammonia emissions in particular remain a major obstacle to achieving the EU’s ambitious zero-pollution goals.
The report highlights real success stories. Since 2005, emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) have all dropped substantially. These reductions are the result of tighter legislation, cleaner technologies, and joint efforts at EU, national, regional, and city levels. The improvements have translated into significant health benefits—thousands of premature deaths have been avoided each year—and they have also reduced economic costs related to sickness and lost productivity.
Yet the picture is not entirely positive. Ammonia (NH₃), a pollutant mainly linked to agriculture, is not following the same downward trend. Levels have stagnated and in some Member States even increased. This is particularly concerning because ammonia is a precursor of fine particulate matter, one of the most harmful pollutants for human health. It also damages ecosystems through eutrophication, where excessive nutrients upset the natural balance of soils and waters, threatening biodiversity.
The Commission stresses that the ammonia problem is largely tied to farming practices, especially intensive livestock production and fertilizer use. Solutions exist, such as better manure management and precision fertilization, but implementation has been patchy. Unless Member States step up their efforts, the EU risks missing one of the central objectives of its Zero Pollution Action Plan: reducing by a quarter the share of ecosystems exposed to harmful air pollution by 2030.
So far, only four countries—Estonia, Finland, Greece and Italy—are on track to meet their 2030 emission reduction commitments under current law. The majority will fall short unless they take additional measures, with 21 Member States needing to reduce ammonia emissions and eight countries projected to miss their PM₂.₅ targets. This gap highlights the importance of fully applying existing EU legislation, particularly the National Emissions Reduction Commitments (NEC) Directive and the newly revised Ambient Air Quality Directive.
Health-related targets look more promising. Thanks to reductions in particulate matter and other pollutants, the EU is currently on track to achieve its goal of cutting premature deaths linked to air pollution by more than 55% compared to 2005. However, the ecological target—protecting soils, forests, and waterways from air pollution damage—is not within reach without stronger action. The Commission notes that the recently adopted Nature Restoration Regulation could help, by reinforcing ecosystem resilience, but further measures in the agricultural sector are critical.
To support Member States, the Commission points to tools such as the Technical Support Instrument, which provides expertise for reforms, and EU funding for projects that pioneer new approaches to pollution prevention and cleanup. Alongside the report, Brussels has also launched a Zero Pollution Dashboard—an online platform that tracks progress across Member States on indicators ranging from industrial emissions and biodiversity loss to wastewater treatment. This tool allows governments, researchers, and the public to see where progress is being made and where gaps remain.
The findings echo broader concerns about whether Europe can meet its environmental promises. A separate review by EU auditors in early 2025 already warned that many cities were unlikely to meet tougher air and noise pollution standards in time, underscoring the difficulty of translating EU-wide goals into local action. The Clean Air Outlook confirms this tension: Europe’s regulatory framework is effective, but implementation on the ground is uneven.
In the end, the Commission’s message is twofold: Europe has proven that clean air policies work, but the job is far from done. The dramatic drops in some pollutants show what is possible when legislation, innovation, and enforcement align. But without decisive action to curb agricultural ammonia and ensure every Member State plays its part, the promise of a zero-pollution Europe will remain out of reach. The coming years will determine whether Europe can turn incremental progress into lasting environmental recovery.
Source: European Commission
