Many European cities still suffer from poor air quality, with main pollutants concentrations above both the 2021 WHO air quality guideline levels and EU air quality standards. This is the case for fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which is the air pollutant responsible for most of the well-documented premature deaths and further adverse health effects of air pollution. Related abatement strategies at different levels have undoubtedly improved air quality over the years. Nevertheless, exposure to high pollution levels is still problematic and localised in specific areas both within and outside the EU. According to the EU legislation and international agreements, a key issue is to determine the activity sectors and the most appropriate scale to address air pollution as effectively as possible. The main purpose of this Atlas is to support policy makers in designing air pollutant emissions abating strategies, with a focus on PM2.5 with particular reference to the selection of the most appropriate and cost-effective strategies within the geographical area under the control of the policy maker. Both spatial (e.g., urban, country) and sectoral (e.g., residential, industrial, agriculture, road transport) contributions to air pollution are quantified for 118 urban areas located in countries which are in the process of accessing the EU. The study area is subdivided in three regions: Western Balkans, Ukraine and Moldova, and Türkiye and Georgia. The study concludes that local actions at the city scale are effective means of reducing PM2.5 levels, related health effects, premature deaths and associated costs. In addition, it was found that target sectors and scales to abate air pollution vary by city and that regional differences play also a role. Overall, residential heating at the local level and industrial emissions are the most impactful sectors in the studied cities. Also, measures targeting agriculture at country scale would clearly benefit urban air quality, while the abatement of road transport emissions would require multi-level actions.
BELIS Claudio;
KONA Albana;
THUNIS Philippe;
PISONI Enrico;
ZAULI SAJANI Stefano;
DE MEIJ Alexander;
REY POMMIER Anthony;
PEKAR Ferenc;
2025-11-30
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC144080
978-92-68-33798-1 (online),
978-92-68-33820-9 (print),
1831-9424 (online),
1018-5593 (print),
EUR 40538,
OP KJ-01-25-579-EN-N (online),
OP KJ-01-25-579-EN-C (print),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC144080,
10.2760/8089829 (online),
10.2760/3902161 (print),
