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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)