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{{cquote|Cleaner air for all: With many Europeans experiencing high air pollution in their cities, how can energy policy and regulation apply to electricity generation, heat production and transport in order to improve air quality?}}
Air pollution is one of the main factors contributing to climate change and global warming and it can be considered today as one of the main challenges of our century. Energy and heat production, industry, agriculture, household heating or transport - the consequences of air pollution are huge with two thirds of ecosystems affected. Moreover, air pollution has huge consequences for human health and economy by being responsible for more than 7 millions of deaths per year around the world and more than 400 000 in the EU. The global direct economic cost is estimated near to €23.8 billions according the the European Commission.
It is because of these risks and cost thats the EU, in hopes of international cooperation, has implemented its policy to make the air cleaner for all in Europe by implementing some rules, steps, and objectives to achieve concerning the air quality, especially concerning the air pollutants emissions. These rules, of which some have been in effect for years, have been regrouped into the Clean air Package 2013.
==Air pollution : global problem==
===The state of the air pollution in Europe===
As a lot of places in the world, the EU territory has also been affected by high air pollution Air quality in Europe : real time air quality index<ref>[http://aqicn.org/map/europe/], Air quality in Europe : real time air quality index, http://aqicn.org/map/europe/.</ref> for many decades. The “Great Smog” that London knew in 1952 shows that the high air pollution is not a recent problem in Europe and time and research have highlighted the responsibility and impact of air pollution on society. Indeed, as shown by the European Environment Agency (EEA)<ref>[https://www.eea.europa.eu/], European Environment Agency, https://www.eea.europa.eu/.</ref> in its report “Air quality in Europe - 2016 report”<ref>[https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/air-quality-in-europe-2016], Air quality in Europe - 2016 report, https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/air-quality-in-europe-2016.</ref>, air pollution has direct and indirect consequences for society and in different areas: human health, environment, culture and economics. In many ways, air pollution has a present cost which can have irreversible consequences for the future of our planet:
Human health consequences: As the EEA and the European Commission have highlighted, air pollution damages human health and quality of life. Directly responsible for the illnesses (such as asthma, heart diseases, strokes, and bronchitis) of 6.5 billion people per year across the EU, air pollution is also responsible for more than 400 000 premature deaths per year in the EU and more than 7 million around the world. Additionally the health consequences of air pollution are also very costly, with an amount evaluated near €4 billion.
Environmental consequences: Air pollution has a direct and important impact on ecosystems and on climate change, causing acidification, eutrophication, crop damage, disturbing the vegetation growth, and affecting wildlife. Air pollutant emissions have a big impact on climate change and global warming, and are responsible for a main part of the damage to our ecosystem
Being the world’s highest energy source importer - 53% of its energy production for a cost of €400 billion<ref name="Ten priorities">[https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/53f2ea1d-8cf6-11e5-b8b7-01aa75ed71a1], ''Ten priorities for Europe'',- European Commission, https://publications.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/53f2ea1d-8cf6-11e5-b8b7-01aa75ed71a1.</ref>, the European Commission has highlighted in its Ten priorities for Europe booklet published in 2015 the dependence of the Union on the fossil fuels which represent 88% of the generation of energy and heat in 2013. This booklet also highlights the little use of the renewable energies which, even if they increase, represent only 12% in 2013<ref name="Ten priorities" />.
The use of the fossil fuels is not without consequences. Indeed, their use is responsible for the emissions of some air pollutants causing air pollution, climate change and the connected health problems. As the commission highlights, ''“Around 90 % of city dwellers in Europe are exposed to pollutants at concentrations higher than the air quality levels deemed harmful to health”''<ref name="Air pollution">[https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/air/intro], ''Air pollution'', European Environement Agency</ref>. These air pollutants are known and defined and are among the:[[File: Air pollutants.png|thumb|Fuels used by the EU in 2013, ''Ten priorities for Europe'', European Commissions]]
* Particulate matter (PM)
* Sulphure Dioxyde (SO2)
* '''Targets for 2020'''
''- “Reducing greenhouse gases by at least 20% compared to 1990 levels
- 20% of energy from renewable sources
- 20% energy efficiency improvement”''<ref name="strategies" />
* '''Targets for 2030'''
''- “40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
- At least 27% EU energy from renewables
- Increase energy efficiency by 27-30%
- 15% electricity interconnection (i.e. 15% of electricity generated in the EU can be transported to other EU countries)”''<ref name="strategies" />
===The measures taken by the EU===
Because Energy, Health and Environment are shared competences and to ensure the good run of the objectives dictated by the European legislation and strategies, the EU has implemented different measures and regulations.
* '''The Energy Union and climate:''' <ref name="energy union">[https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/energy-union-and-climate_en], ''The Energy Union and Climate'', European Commission.</ref> Implemented in 2015, the Energy Union and climate is the result of a long history of European energy policies and of proposals from the united energy sector. The objective of the Union is to ensure a secure and sustainable energy by a common and interconnected market and common policies and investments. This Energy Union is based on five main priorities:
# “Energy security, solidarity and trust
# A fully integrated European energy market
# Energy efficiency
# Climate change - Decarbonising the economy
# Research, innovation and competitiveness.”<ref name="energy union" />This Union is a new step in the involvement of the EU in the fight against climate change and air pollution, with the main aim to increase coherence and efficiency. It gives new powers to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) <ref name="ets">[https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets_en], The European Trading System (ETS), European Commission, https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/ets_en</ref> by the ratification of the 2015 Paris Agreement and by establishing their targets for the Energy policy (Target 2020, Targets 2030 Target 2050).
* '''The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS)<ref name="ets" />:''' The EU Emissions Trading System is a Cap and Trade system implemented at the European level. Based on the polluter pays principle, the main objective of this system is to reduce greenhouse gasses and air pollutant emissions by implementing a system of yearly emissions quotas allocated for each company (the cap). On a common market based on the law of supply and demand, these quotas can be exchanged between companies (trade system) according to their needs. To ensure a the successful achievement of the objectives to reduce the emissions, the system includes more and more countries and companies each year.
* '''The Clean air package 2013:''' In line with the different regulations set up concerning the environment and air pollution, this package has been implemented to plan huge investments at regional, national and international levels with the aim to improve air quality. The cost of this Clean air package has been estimated by the European Commission to an average of €2.2 billion a year between between 2014 and 2030, and a global estimated amount of investments of € 35.2 billion in the whole period. The European Commission estimated an important return on investment near a ratio of 20 times of the cost. Either an order of €3.3 billion a year on direct costs (energy and heat generation, less dependency on fossil fuels, health costs) and on the indirect costs (health improvement) which can range from €4 to €140 billion. Moreover, the benefits will also concern the exposure of the EU territory and citizens to air pollutants and their risks. Thus, the aim is to decrease the exposure to eutrophication from 62% of the EU area to 44% of the area, a decrease of 29% of the area exposed to the eutrophication. Concerning the exposure to acidification, a decrease of 79,36% of the EU area exposed to acidification - from 110.000 km² to 27.500 km² - has been estimated.Thus the Clean air package’s aim is to have a common mass investment to ensure the best reduction of risks and costs.
==References==