The Zero Pollution Action Plan set out 9 flagship initiatives listed below and 33 actions (see the list here). Active stakeholder involvement will be essential to implement them. We will provide you with regular information on their implementation through the Action Tracker on this page and through the newsletter.
If you are interested in contributing to any of these initiatives, please register for the newsletter.
The Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform also developed a Work Programme for 2022 to 2024, as discussed at the first meeting of the Platform. Updated information on the activities listed in the Work Programme is available here.
Status: Ongoing (advanced)
The first version of the European Cancer Inequalities Register was released on 02/02/2022 already including some air quality data. At present, the ECIR data tool presents data on exposure to particulate matter 2.5 and 10, and some information on the country-specific situation concerning the impact of environmental pollution on cancer is available in the Country Cancer Profiles that were published in February 2023. The Cancer Inequalities Registry aims to include further data on environmental and pollution indicators representing a risk factor for cancer, by 2024. This will help identify trends, disparities, and inequalities across EU regions regarding exposure to environmental pollution and its impact on cancer, to guide targeted interventions at EU, national, and local levels.
In addition, the Atlas of Demography is available. This will also enable people to compare how much pollution affects their health across the different regions where they live, study, and work. Thematic stories on demography and air, water and soil pollution have been published in June 2023. The intention is to further develop the Atlas and include more pollution-relevant information by 2024.
Moreover, the EU framework programmes for research and innovation have funded over 500 multinational, multi-partner projects on environment and health research which contribute to the scientific understanding of the impacts of environmental exposures on health.
Timing / key deliverables
2024: updated European Cancer Inequalities Register and Atlas of Demography including pollution monitoring and outlook data
Responsible organisation
European Commission (SANTE, JRC, ENV) and EEA
Sources of additional information:
- European Cancer Inequalities Register and “Effect of environmental factors on cancer in Europe” (fact sheet)
- Atlas of Demography and thematic stories on:
- Demography and air pollution
- Demography and water pollution
- Demography and soil pollution
- Beating cancer - the role of Europe’s environment - European Environment Agency
- EEA Environment & Health Atlas
Several discussions have taken place including:
Orientation debate at the Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform meeting on 25 April 2022
Dedicated workshop on “Reducing health inequalities through zero pollution” on 14/15 June 2023
Status: Ongoing (advanced)
The Commission will, in synergy with the EU Mission for ‘Climate-neutral and Smart Cities’, the revision of the Urban Mobility Package, the Covenant of Mayors, and the New European Bauhaus initiative, identify key urban greening and innovation needs to prevent pollution, including indoors. By 2024, the Commission will reward the cities reporting the most progress over 2021-2023 in reducing air, water, and soil pollution. This will help people benefit from actions against the pollution that are tailored to their immediate local surroundings.
The cities selected as part of the EU Cities Mission were announced on 28 April 2022 and the Mission Platform is now working with them in order to develop their Climate City Contracts (CCC). These cities will work on a wide range of topics to achieve their goals, including urban pollution. The first cities are expected to sign their CCCs in April 2023. Several calls for proposals have been launched under Horizon Europe to support the first phase of implementation of the Cities Mission for the period 2021-2023 for an overall budget of about €360 million.
The Cities Mission Work Programme for 2023-2024 was adopted last December and is currently open, with calls worth about €155 million. In a €302 million Call for Pilot Cities launched by the Mission Platform has led to the selection of 53 cities that will test and implement innovative approaches to rapid decarbonisation over a two-year period.
Next steps
Scoping study on pollution reduction data at the city level is ongoing (see Flagship 3)
Responsible organisation
European Commission (RTD, REGIO)
Sources of additional information
- Green City Accord
- Year of Greener Cities
- Horizon Europe Mission for Climate Neutral and Smart Cities
- Urban Mobility Package
- Covenant of Mayors
- New European Bauhaus initiative
Several discussions have taken place that identified key urban greening needs, including:
Orientation debate at the ZP Stakeholder Platform meeting of 11 October 2022
High Level event at the European Week of Cities and Regions on 11 October 2022
Member State Zero Pollution Steering Group discussed the urban agenda on 15 March 2023
Status: Ongoing (advanced)
By 2024 and in cooperation with the Committee of the Regions, the Commission will present a Scoreboard of EU regions’ zero pollution performance to measure, in particular the efforts of EU regions to achieve the environmental-relevant targets set under this action plan and other strategies. It will be the basis for rewarding the best performances and grant an award for the Green Region of the Year, possibly in the context of REGIOSTARS. Citizens, regional administrations and businesses will be able to check progress over time and highlight best practices while informing choices and investments as well as creating a race to zero pollution including with new regional tourism and business opportunities. In synergy with Flagship 2, the scoreboard will also assess cities green performance (see flagship 2).
A scoping study on scoring ZP performance on cities and regions has been finalised and a prototype is under preparation.
Timing / key deliverables
2024
Next steps
Based on the scoping study, the project to design the first version of the scoreboard is under development and will be launched in 2024.
Sources of additional information
Several discussions have taken place including:
Orientation debate at the ZP Stakeholder Platform meeting of 11 October 2022
High Level event at the European Week of Cities and Regions on 11 October 2022
Workshop on “scoring ZP performance on cities and regions” of 25 April 2023 (see report, presentations and final concept paper).
Status: Completed
From 2022 onwards, the Commission will encourage public and private sector operators to make ‘Zero Pollution pledges’ to promote the best available ‘near-zero waste’ options, and products and services proven to be less polluting over their whole life cycle. With a focus on EU Ecolabel products and services, including tourist accommodation and less toxic chemicals and materials, this will provide people with more offers and information on cleaner options.
Beside these initiatives that encourage a wide range of stakeholders to commit to promoting less-polluting products and services (the European Climate Pact, the Green Consumption Pledges, the Sustainable Consumption Pledge and the Transition Pathway for Tourism), the Commission has presented several initiatives which will translate this flagship into practice, in particular the:
Proposal for Ecodesign for Sustainable Products including the digital product passport;
Proposal for a Green Claims Directive;
Commission recommendations for “safe and sustainable by design”.
Moreover, there has been significant progress in the implementation of the EU Ecolabel, where the number of products and licences has been growing continuously. Since 2020, more than 10,000 new EU Ecolabel products have been registered. They provide alternatives to consumers for cleaner, less polluting products and services – empowering them to make informed choices and play an active role in the ecological transition.
Timing / key deliverables
From 2022
Next steps
Further promote EU Ecolabel uptake and other pledging initiatives.
Adoption and implementation of Commission proposals.
Responsible organisation
European Commission (CLIMA, JUST, ENV)
Sources of additional information
An orientation debate at the ZP Stakeholder Platform meeting of 20 April 2023 (see report and presentation)
Status: Ongoing (advanced)
As of 2022, the Commission will bring together environmental and other enforcement authorities (e.g. those in charge of EU transport, energy, agriculture, or consumer protection legislation) to kick off the exchange of best practices and encourage Member States to devise cross-sectorial compliance actions towards zero tolerance for pollution at a national level and transboundary level. People will ultimately benefit from cleaner air, water, and soil and less noise, thanks to better enforcement of pollution-related legislation.
Out of the eight actions envisaged under this Flagship, seven have already been completed.
The Commission has promoted enhanced collaboration between national authorities and European networks of environmental agencies, inspectors, auditors, police, prosecutors and judges. It has also brought together environmental and other enforcement authorities, encouraged the application of existing inspections and other compliance checks and penalty clauses, and promoted the use of cutting-edge technologies to boost national capacities for monitoring and compliance verification. These actions are based on the ongoing work by IMPEL as well as the Environmental Compliance and Governance Forum. Moreover, TAIEX EIR P2P is available to Member States willing to develop new actions.
The horizontal legal framework will be significantly improved with the adoption of the new Environmental Crime Directive proposed by the Commission, which is currently being negotiated between the co-legislators.
The Commission has included standardised provisions on compliance assurance – including on sanctions – in its new legislative proposals, and closely monitors the proportionate and dissuasive application of penalty clauses in force. The Commission’s enforcement action can be verified through the interactive infringement map.
The evaluation of the Environmental Liability Directive is not completed yet but is well advanced.
Timing / key deliverables
From 2022
Next steps
Finalisation of the evaluation of the Environment Liability Directive (see action 21).
Responsible organisation
European Commission (ENV)
Sources of additional information
TAIEX-EIR Multi-country Flagship Workshop: Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil, 9 February (webinar available on Vimeo).
Background document for TAIEX-EIR event with the Environment Governance and Compliance Forum (PDF)
Workshop on “Making Zero Pollution Integration Across Policies Work” of 14 March 2023
Standard provisions on compliance assurance have been introduced in several proposals, e.g. for the revisions of the directives on industrial emissions (action 16), ambient air quality (action 1), and, urban wastewater treatment (action 13). The issue was also discussed at dedicated meetings of the Sub-Group on sanctioning of environmental offenses of the Environment Governance and Compliance Forum.
Interactive infringement map on the Commission’s enforcement action.
Status: Ongoing (advanced)
From 2022 onwards, the Commission will showcase from the Renovation Wave Strategy and New European Bauhaus initiative how building projects and the use of Local Digital Twins can also contribute to zero pollution objectives by applying principles based on ‘beautiful, sustainable, together’. These results will also contribute to the implementation of the Energy Efficiency Directive, with improved housing and less pollution from, in, and around buildings, along with money-saving.
Timing / key deliverables
From 2022
Next steps
Q4/2023: Orientation debate at the ZP Stakeholder Platform meeting of Autumn 2023
Sources of additional information
A festival of the New European Bauhaus took place from 9-12 June 2022, with physical activities in Brussels but with a lot of side-events accessible online. Designed around four main pillars: the Fair, the Fest, the Forum and Side-events.
A resolution on the New European Bauhaus was adopted by the European Parliament on 14 September 2022. The first call for proposals on the European Urban Initiative (EUI) was published on 10/10/2022 with a deadline on 19 January 2023.
On 24 November 2022, President von der Leyen launched the idea of a NEB Academy in Espoo, Finland.
A new call for the 2023 Prizes ran from 6 December 2022 till 31 January 2023.
On 19 July, the European Commission proposed a sixth Horizon Europe Mission dedicated entirely to the New European Bauhaus (NEB). If endorsed by the Member States and the community, this Mission would be added to the existing five which cover adaptation to climate change, cancer, climate neutral and smart cities, the restoration of our ocean and waters, and soils.
Status: Completed
In 2021, the Commission, together with partners, launched Living Labs for green digital solutions and smart zero pollution to engage with regional and local authorities (for example through the Living-in.eu community) and other stakeholders to help develop local actions for green and digital transformation which contribute to the European Digital Green Coalition and the European Climate Pact. By 2023, the Living Lab members are to develop recommendations for a climate and environment-friendly use of digital solutions to accelerate zero pollution efforts, with a particular focus on citizen engagement.
The launch event and the first workshop took place on 04/04/2022 and the second workshop was on 12/09/2022. The concluding event for the preparation of the recommendations is at the Open Living Lab Days in Torino (21/09/2022) and thereafter the proposals for recommendations were presented to the Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform, with a view to finalising them in early 2023.
Timing / key deliverables
2022: ENOLL workshops
Next steps
Q2/2023: ENOLL to finalise and publish recommendations
Responsible organisation
ENOLL and European Commission (CNECT, ENV)
Sources of additional information (Flagship 7)
- European Network of Living Labs (ENOLL)
- Environment Council Conclusions 2020: ‘Digitalisation for the benefit of the Environment’
- European Digital Green Coalition
- Launch event of Flagship 7 of the European Commission’s Zero Pollution Action Plan | Shaping Europe’s digital future (europa.eu)
- “Living labs for green digital solutions & smart zero pollution” Presentation of the recommendations at the Open Living Lab Days 2023
Status: Ongoing (advanced)
As of 2021, the Commission will promote global zero pollution in all relevant international fora and work with the EU Member States and stakeholders to significantly reduce the EU’s external pollution footprint, notably by proposing, in line with EU international commitments, to restrict the export of certain products which are no longer allowed in the EU market, and wastes that have harmful environmental impacts in third countries (such as subjecting plastic waste and electrical and electronic waste to the controls and restrictions of the UN Basel Convention). This will ultimately reduce EU global pollution footprint and benefit third-country citizens’ health and environment.
The proposal for a revised Waste Shipment Regulation looks at the rules governing the EU when exporting waste, in line with the international rules.
The ongoing activities under the UN Basel Convention on environmentally sound management of waste lead acid batteries are available below. The Commission is an active member of the Small Intersessional Working Group that will prepare a first draft of the guidelines.
The Global Biodiversity Framework agreed upon in December 2022 includes as part of target 7, a Zero Pollution ambition for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems.
Negotiations on a new international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution including in the marine environment, and a Science Policy Panel for Chemicals, Waste, and Pollution are ongoing.
Moreover, the link between pollution and the One Health agenda was discussed at the Seventh Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health. It will define the future environment and health priorities and commitments for the WHO European Region.
Timing / key deliverables
From 2021
Next steps
Feb-March 2024: UNEA-6
Responsible organisation
European Commission (ENV)
Sources of additional information
Status: Ongoing (advanced)
From 2021 onwards, the Commission will consolidate the roles of the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) as the EU’s Knowledge Centres of Excellence for Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook, and bring together relevant players in the Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform to exchange also on best available data and inform the public, in particular through the upcoming Air Quality Index App.
Timing / key deliverables
2021: Air Quality App launched
2022: First ZP Monitoring and Outlook Report
2024: Second ZP Monitoring and Outlook Report
Next steps
2024: Presentation of the second Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook Report (see action 31)
Responsible organisation
European Commission (ENV)
Sources of additional information
The first Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook was published on 8 December 2022
The first Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook Report was presented at the Zero Pollution Stakeholder Conference on 14/12/2022
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) established a new portfolio on "zero pollution for planetary health – integrated response” (ZEPHIR)
The European Environment Agency (EEA) published the Zero Pollution Assessment involving the European Environment Information and Observation Network (EIONET) and is preparing an Environment & Health Atlas (see action 32)
- Stakeholder Workshop “Towards a Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook”
- The Stakeholder Workshop on 24/25 May 2022 was dedicated to the preparations for the first Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook and the Integrated Nutrient Management Action Plan (INMAP) with a focus on integrated assessments and modeling of nutrients. Presentations and results are available here.
- The outcomes of the EU Framework Programme of Research and Innovation on Environment and Health (Environment and health) - namely the activities of the Urban Health Cluster and the Indoor air quality and health cluster (kick-off in October 2022) - are providing evidence on the health impacts of pollution in urban areas including air/indoor air and light pollution. The European Human Exposome Network will advance the understanding of the health impacts of global exposure to environmental factors, covering also air and noise pollution and chemical risk factors. The CUSP Cluster is filling the knowledge gaps in understanding the impacts of exposure to micro- and nanoplastics on human health.
1. Revise the Ambient Air Quality Directives
Completed
More information:
- Proposal for a revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directives
- Air quality - revision of EU rules (Have your say)
- EU Clean Air Policy
2. Introduce more stringent emission limits for motor vehicles (Euro 7)
Completed
More information:
3. Reduce air and noise emissions from transport at source by updating, where relevant, EU or international regulatory frameworks
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
4. Implementation Report on the Environmental Noise Directive
Completed
More information:
- Implementation Report on the Environmental Noise Directive published on 20 March 2023
- Evaluation of Environmental Noise Directive
5. Follow up of the evaluation of the Outdoor Noise Directive
Ongoing (early stage)
More information:
- Noise Emission by Outdoor Equipment – database; EU legislation; latest developments and studies; etc.
6. Assess pathways and policy options to improve indoor air quality, and propose legislative measure as relevant
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
7. Review and, if necessary, revise the Bathing Water Directive
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
8. Support the implementation of the new Drinking Water Directive (DWD) and adopt relevant implementing and delegated act
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
Preparation and development of implementing and delegated acts and technical guidelines are ongoing:
- Implementing and Delegated acts in relation to 'materials in contact with drinking water' (3 Implementing and 3 Delegated acts (5 for adoption by Jan 2024, 1 for adoption by Jan 2025))
- Delegated act on a methodology to measure microplastics (in drinking water) (adoption by Jan 2024)
- Technical guidelines on analytical methods for PFAS in drinking water (to be established by Jan 2024)
In addition to making a recast DWD transposition checklist available to Member States in the past, the Commission replied to a significant number of questions from Member State authorities regarding the transposition of the recast DWD provisions. Member States have to transpose the Directive into national law and comply with its provisions by 12 January 2023.
The Commission, together with the EEA and in consultation with the Member States, is supporting the Member States in setting up their (uniform) data sets on the quality of drinking water in accordance with the recast DWD provisions.
9. Review and, if necessary, revise the Energy Efficiency Directive, the Renewable Energy Directive and the eco-design and energy labelling requirements for heating appliances
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
Proposal for a new Energy Efficiency Directive
Energy efficient products (including heating appliances)
The Commission is currently working on reviewing the full range of eco-design and energy labelling regulations relating to heating appliances. These different regulations address local space heaters, hydronic space and combination heaters, solid fuel local space heaters and solid fuel boilers. The timing for each of these differs but they are expected to be adopted between the end of 2023 and the beginning of 2025.
10. Revise the Environmental Quality Standards Directive and the Groundwater Directive
Completed
More information:
11. Review and, if necessary, revise the Marine Strategy Framework Directive
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
12. Reduce underwater noise and marine litter through EU threshold values to be set under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
Implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive; setting of threshold values under Commission Decision 2017/848/EU
The threshold values for beach litter and underwater noise are finalised:
For beach litter
For noise and impulsive noise
Work on floating and seafloor litter is continuing.
13. Revise the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive in synergy with the review of the Industrial Emissions Directive and the evaluation of the Sewage Sludge Directive
Completed
More information:
14. Support the implementation of the Strategic Guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture - Environmental performance aspects
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
26 EU Member States have adopted Multi-annual National Strategic Plans for aquaculture and programmes for the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (2021-2027). In the context of the preparation of these plans and programmes, the Commission has stressed the need to include the objective of increasing the environmental performance of the sector and related actions to this aim, which of course also covers preventing and reducing pollution.
As part of the further implementation, the Commission will:
- Provide guidance on good practices on how to prevent or mitigate impact on the environment by aquaculture activities. Work on such guidance has just started and will be completed between 2023 and 2024.
- Promote types of aquaculture with lower environmental impact (including organic aquaculture but also farming of low trophic species, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, or energy efficient recirculating aquaculture systems).
- Promote aquaculture offering environmental services, such as algae or molluscs, which have bioremediation capacity.
15. Identify and remedy contaminated sites by:
establishing an EU priority watch list for soil contaminants and introducing a zero soil pollution module in the future LUCAS survey;
investigating best practices and providing guidance for a passport for the safe, sustainable and circular use of excavated soil;
facilitating and promoting awareness of public and private funding for identification, investigation, assessment and remediation of contaminated soils and groundwater.
Ongoing (completed)
More information:
This will now be largely implemented through the EU Soil Strategy and the proposal for a Directive on Soil Monitoring and Resilience.
16. Revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive and the E-PRTR Regulation
Completed
More information:
- Review of Industrial Emission Directive
- Revision of the E-PRTR Regulation (now Industrial Emissions Portal Regulation)
- Negotiations in European Parliament and Council ongoing
17. Recommendations on the basis of a fitness check on the implementation of the Polluter Pays Principle
Ongoing (early stage)
More information:
- Green taxation and other economic instruments – Internalising environmental costs to make the polluter pay
- Open public consultation launched
The fitness check offers the opportunity to look at the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) from a broad and systemic perspective. There is a common understanding that it will also include Environmentally Harmful Subsidies (EHS) as well as cost recovery charges and taxes. The Call for Evidence is available for feedback on Polluter Pays Principle – fitness check of its application to the environment (europa.eu)
18. Revision of the Mercury Regulation
Completed
More information:
19. Support OECD's international work on best available techniques (BAT), including new and emerging technologies, to reduce industrial emissions
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
The Commission has continued to support the OECD in its work on best available techniques (BATs), thus promoting the EU environmental standards internationally. A new cycle of actions has started in 2022, including cross-country comparison of BATs or capacity building workshops.
20. Revise the Environmental Crime Directive
Completed
More information:
21. Evaluation of the Environmental Liability Directive
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
22. Build capacity and improve knowledge on less polluting practices with national advisory services for farmers
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
- Preparatory work has been completed: a survey of advisory services for farmers finalised and a webinar was organised to discuss results. The final report is available.The post-2020 CAP aims at solving this heterogeneity by providing a decision-support system to all European farmers to better comply with applicable environmental regulation and improve their overall farm management. The system is the Farm Sustainability Tool (FaST), a free and open source digital tool, using EU space data and services, aimed at reaching all farmers across the European Union.
23. Compile and make accessible in a digital format all main obligations on nutrient management stemming from EU law to limit the environmental footprint of farming activities
Ongoing (early stage)
24. Create a Zero Pollution contribution to the European Green Deal Dataspace to improve data availability
Ongoing (early stage)
More information:
Examples:
The GREAT project, funded by the Digital Europe Programme, focuses on defining use-cases for the Green Deal Data Space, including Mercury (Hg) levels in the environment. It utilises the GOS4M-KH system to provide data on Mercury concentration from past and ongoing campaigns, as well as identifying emission sources. In the future, this data will support two key services within the Green Deal Data Space: simulating Mercury reduction through policy actions and assessing Mercury-related health risks for vulnerable populations.
The project also collaborates with EMODnet Chemistry, which generates standardized data for various marine descriptors, crucial for EU marine policies like the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, Water Framework Directive, and Maritime Spatial Planning Directive.
The AD4GD project focuses on monitoring small urban lakes that are not part of the EU water framework directive. These lakes are subject to diverse stressors such as an increasing number of droughts during summertime and high nutrient inputs. The project uses EO data (Sentinel 2), online oxygen sensors and citizen-generated data to develop automated methods for assessing water quality and quantity, along with their long-term trends.
25. Create Destination Earth to develop a very high precision digital model of the Earth with Copernicus data as key building block to monitor the state of air, freshwaters, seas and soil
Ongoing (advanced)
Destination Earth is Exploring ECMWF’s digital twins’ applications for air quality analysis and forecasts. The tight correlation between air quality and weather means that extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts, are often accompanied by extreme events of air pollution.
The application will deliver a demonstrator of an interactive air quality forecasting system and an assessment tool on the basis of different anthropogenic emission scenarios. Simulations will have 1 km horizontal resolution. For reference, current state-of-the-art operational air quality models such as the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) have a resolution of 10 km, for the regional European model and about 40 km in the global model.
More information:
26. Improved training and educational support on environmental risks including pharmaceuticals
- Through tailored EU training modules for healthcare and other social care sector workers
- Guidelines for healthcare professionals on the prudent use of pharmaceuticals and support to include environmental aspects in training and professional development programmes
- Training and educational support for climate, environment, and health-conscious professionals and economic operators.
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
Proposals for revision of EU pharmaceutical legislation
27. Advance international cooperation on black carbon policies to reduce climate change impacts and improve air quality
Ongoing (early stage)
More information:
A project on addressing black carbon from wildfires (an increasing problem and outside the scope of most current legal frameworks) and the possible co-benefits of black carbon and methane emissions reduction, both for clean air and for climate objectives, is to be completed by early-2024.
The UNECE Air Convention is discussing the potential options for further addressing black carbon as part of the wider review of the Gothenburg Protocol at the next Air Convention Executive Body in December 2023.
28. Support global action on the export of end-of-life and used vehicles
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
Collaboration with UNEP on the Used Vehicles and Clean Fuels Programme. Exploration of joint initiatives at the global level by major exporters during 2023 as a follow-up of UNEA5 resolution on Circular Economy that addresses used vehicles and a continuation of UNEP’s work, and in preparations for UNEA6 in 2024
29. Support initiatives to better monitor and manage international trade for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and waste batteries
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
- Activities are ongoing under the UN Basel Convention including the implementation of the recently adopted exporting ban for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and the launch of the update of technical guidelines on environmental sound management of waste batteries.
30. Support a global initiative to end informal recycling of used lead acid batteries
Ongoing (advanced)
More information:
Under the leadership of G7 a workshop on Appraisal and Stocktaking of Actions to reduce Lead Poisoning in Low- and Middle-Income Countries is under preparation.
The UN Basel Convention launched the update of technical guidelines on environmental sound management of waste lead acid batteries.
31. Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook Reports
Completed
More information:
- First Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook Report 2022 (COM(2022) 674).
- EEA Zero pollution assessment 2022
- JRC Zero pollution Outlook 2022
The first Zero Pollution Monitoring and Outlook Report was presented at the Zero Pollution Stakeholder Conference on 14 December 2022
32. Develop a ‘European Environment and Health Atlas’
Completed
More information:
- Environment and Health Atlas
- EEA: Environment and Health
- An EEA briefing on pollution and cancer was launched in June 2021
33. Launch the Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform (including thematic hubs, e.g. on digital solutions, clean air tech, soil pollution)
Completed
More information: Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform.
The Platform is launched and several meetings have taken place:
- 1st ZPSP Meeting: 16 December 2021
- 2nd ZPSP Meeting: 25 April 2022
- 3rd ZPSP Meeting: 11 October 2022
- 4th ZPSP Meeting: 20 April 2023
- 5th ZPSP Meeting: 9 November 2023