The European Commission and the European Environment Agency (EEA) today released the second Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook Report along with the fourth Air Quality Outlook Report. These documents provide a comprehensive overview of the EU’s progress towards achieving the ambitious zero pollution targets set for 2030. RECETOX, which hosts the National Centre for Toxic Compounds and has long been involved in researching the impact of the environment on the health of individuals and populations, is also the only academic representative from the Czech Republic on the EU Zero Pollution Action Plan Stakeholder Platform.
Key Findings
The reports show that EU policies have brought positive changes in reducing air pollution, decreasing pesticide use, and reducing plastic waste in the seas.
Despite these successes, pollution levels in some areas remain worryingly high. There has been little progress in reducing noise pollution in large cities, the release of microplastics into the environment, or nutrient pollution from agricultural runoff and fertilizer use.
One way to reduce pollution and overall pressure on human health and ecosystems, according to the European Commission, is to support the EU’s circular economy.
Regional Comparisons and Successful Examples
The published documents include the first Zero Pollution Outlook, which maps the progress of individual EU regions and all major cities in achieving a cleaner environment, known as the Dashboard. The overview allows for regional comparisons based on pollution indicators related to health, ecosystem protection, and biodiversity, as well as the sustainability of production and consumption.
As examples of good practice, 15 regions in Austria, Finland, France, Germany, and Sweden are highlighted for currently achieving the lowest pollution levels within the EU.
The Dashboard is available at this address: Towards zero pollution in regions - European Commission, and it is expected to be continuously updated with data obtained from European environmental quality monitoring. In the long term, the plan is to supplement the Dashboard with socio-economic data to provide a comprehensive picture of the quality of life in individual EU regions.
RECETOX, as a member of the Zero Pollution Action Plan Stakeholder Platform since 2021, contributes to discussions on the proper targeting of monitoring goals. Along with other Platform members, we particularly welcomed the clear Dashboard, whose visualizations are an important step forward in raising awareness of environmental quality in the EU.
Complete information with links to download the main documents is available here: EU advancing on 2030 zero-pollution targets but stronger action is needed | European Environment Agency’s home page.
In January 2025, a new international project called DTRIP4H was launched, involving the RECETOX center. The RECETOX center will focus on creating a case study aimed at improving the assessment of exposure to airborne dust in Brno. Initial testing will take place on a small scale in the Lužánky park area. Students from the sports gymnasium will assist scientists with data collection.
On February 6, 2025, the campus of the University of Nairobi hosted the ceremonial opening of an exhibition on RECETOX activities in Africa over the past 15 years, prepared by the Regional Centre for the Stockholm Convention (SCRC) in 2024.
