Air Quality Management in EU Member States

Governance and Institutional Arrangements:International Experience and Implications Air Quality Management inEU Member States1 Governance and InstItutIonalarranGements:InternatIonalexperIence and ImplIcatIons November 2024 Europe and Central Asia RegionEnvironment & Governance Global Practice 1This report was prepared by a team of World Bank experts from Governance and the Environment, Natural Resourcesand Blue Economy Global Practices. It was led by Pedro Arizti (Senior Public Sector Specialist) with Silvia Calderon(International Consultant) and John Murlis (International Consultant). The report was prepared under the guidance ofSameer Akbar (Senior Environmental Specialist) and Reena Badiani-Magnusson (Program Leader), with contributionsfrom Klas Sander (Senior Environmental Economist), Maja Murisic (Senior Environmental Economist), Davide Zucchini(Senior Public Sector Specialist), and Urvashi Narain (Lead Economist). The report was peer reviewed by Kai Kaiser (SeniorPublic Sector Specialist), Nick Menzies (Senior Public Sector Specialist), Ana Luisa Gomes Lima (Senior EnvironmentalEconomist), Elena Strukova Golub (Senior Environmental Economist), and Kseniya Lvovsky (International Expert). Thecountry assessments were developed by Silvia Calderon (Austria, Germany, Sweden, Estonia, Slovenia), Jolanta Blazaite(Lithuania), Mihovil Škarica (Croatia), Andrzej Halesiak (Poland), John Murlis with Vasil Borislavov Zlatev (Bulgaria), andAndrei Moarcas (Romania). The report received valuable inputs from: Alexandru Cosmin Buteica and Dimitrie Miheș(Romania); Ivana Ivicic (Croatia); Eolina Petrova Milova (Bulgaria); Christian Nagl and Katharina Isepp at EnvironmentAgency Austria; Heidi Koger and Kadri Tamm at the Estonian Environment Agency; Loreta Jovaišienė from the Ministry ofEnvironment in Lithuania; Špela Žohar, Tanja Bolte, and Tanja Kolesa from the Ministry of the Environment, Climate andEnergy and the Slovenian Environment Agency in Slovenia, and; Johan Genberg Safont and Helena Sabelström from theSwedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket). Son Le and Margaux Jeanne Salmon Genel (Consultants)provided support in collecting data and preparing the air quality data visualizations. The document was edited by PatriciaCarley and proofread by Jeremy White. Disclaimer © 2024 The World Bank1818 H Street NW, Washington DC 20433Telephone: 202-473-1000; Internet: www.worldbank.org Some rights reserved This work is a product of the staff of the World Bank. The findings, interpretations, and con-clusions expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the views of the ExecutiveDirectors of the World Bank or the governments they represent. The World Bank does notguarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denomi-nation, and other information shown in any map in this work do not imply any judgment onthe part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement oracceptance of such boundaries. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is subject to copyright. The World Bank encourages dissemination ofits knowledge, this work may be reproduced, in whole or in part, for noncommercial purposesas long as full attribution to this work is given. Attribution—Please cite the work as follows: “World Bank. {2024}. {Air Quality Managementin EU Member States; Governance and Institutional Arrangements: International Experienceand Implications}.© World Bank.” Any queries on rights and licenses, including subsidiary rights, should be addressed to theOffice of the Publisher, The World Bank, 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433, USA; fax:202-522-2422; e-mail: pubrights@worldbank.org. Disclaimer of Content Please be advised that the analytical work presented in this report was primarily conductedduring 2022 and 2023. Certain aspects, including institutional arrangements as well as legaland regulatory mechanisms, may have since changed in the countries covered by this study. Table of contents Abbreviations and Acronyms6Executive Summary8 1. Introduction19 2. Background: Air Quality in Europe22 2.1. Efforts to reduce air pollution in Europe242.2.The state of air pollution today: major pollutants and sources272.3.Major regimes to address air pollution: UNECE Convention and EU directives302.4.Assessing country performance in implementing EU policies322.5.Air quality and governance challenges in Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, and Romania33 3. Methodology 37 4. International Experience and Emerging Trends43 4.1. Legal and regulatory framework444.2. Committed executive504.3. Nested planning524.4. Horizontal and vertical coordination534.5. Accountability and transparency54 5. Key AQM Strengths and Weaknesses in Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, and Romania 5.1. Legal and regulatory framework605.2. Committed executive625.3. Nested planning645.4. Horizontal and vertical coordination665.5. Accountability and transparency675.6.Main AQM governan