A report from the European Court of Auditors warns that urban pollution continues to be one of the greatest environmental threats to public health within the EU. Although the current situation has improved, air and noise pollution levels in European cities are still excessive. Auditors emphasise that EU Member States shall increase efforts to comply with stricter standards in the future. The research and the consequent policy recommendations, which will be presented in Q3 2025, will provide guidance to cities and regional entities how to curb (L-vehicle-) pollution.
Three-quarters of EU citizens live in urban areas, making them the most affected by air and noise pollution. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), air pollution alone causes at least 250,000 deaths annually in Europe. Exposure to noise levels beyond the limits in the long-term causes sleep disturbance, anxiety, cognitive impairment, mental health, and is responsible for 48,000 new cases of heart disease and 12,000 premature deaths annually. The EU has thus set limits to protect all 450 million citizens and has provided funding of €46.4 billion for 2014-2020 and €185.5 billion for 2021-2027 to support clean air.
However, the auditors say that air quality, while generally improving in the EU, remains a persistent problem due to air pollution, notably nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) from road transport. In 2022, 10 member states still exceeded EU limits for NO₂. Given new and stricter EU air quality standards will enter into force, cities should intensify their efforts to meet World Health Organisation recommendations.
Noise pollution is another major urban challenge, though often overlooked. According to the auditors, noise pollution monitoring is inconsistent across member states, which itself prevents any proper assessment of progress. According to the latest estimates, the EU’s 2030 zero-pollution target-to cut the number of people affected by transport noise by 30%-will not be achieved. The best estimate suggests a 19% reduction, while the worst case could see noise pollution increase by 3% by 2030.
Poor coordination of measures, ineffective measures, and local resistance are major factors that make the control of air and noise pollution a nightmare for urban authorities. Thus, while pedestrian and cycling priority zones improve conditions for locals but often worsen air and noise levels in surrounding streets.
Even though low-emission zones (LEZs) are an effective measure to curb pollution, they have become increasingly contentious. The resulting legal challenges in cities like Krakow, on the grounds of discrimination and limitation of free movement, led to the scaling down or postponement of such measures.