General information Air Pollution Control

Air pollution control in Germany

Compared to past decades, air pollution control has been considerably reduced owing to stringent limit values for both industry and private households. This is still true if the high air pollution from coal-fired furnaces and industrial installations in Eastern Germany, which has been significantly reduced through modernisation measures, is included in the calculations.

Targets and measures of the German government

The air pollutants sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitric oxides (NOX), volatile organic compounds (VOC) and ammonia (NH3) pollute the atmosphere and cause eutrophication (NOX / NH3), acidification (SO2 / NOX / NH3) and summer smog through ground-level ozone (NOX / VOC).

The EU NEC Directive obliges all EU Member States to ensure lasting reductions in emissions of these four air pollutants to fixed national emission ceilings from 2010. To this end, Germany has adopted a national programme for the reduction of ozone concentrations and compliance with the emission ceilings.

Germany is well on the way to meeting the standards set by the European Union. For sulphur dioxide and volatile organic compounds, for example from solvents, it is sufficient to apply the measures already adopted and implemented in the past. Additional reductions are required, however, for nitric oxides and ammonia. For these two pollutants the actual emissions are still 6 and 10 percent, respectively, above the target values. The necessary reductions in nitric oxide emissions will be achieved in the transport sector and in stationary installations. The programme comprises measures such as a tightening of the European standards for passenger cars and heavy-duty vehicles, a broader spread of the toll rates for heavy goods vehicles and a support programme to promote purchases of low-emission heavy-duty vehicles. The reduction in ammonia emissions will be achieved by the continued stringent implementation of the German government’s programme for the reduction of ammonia emissions from agriculture. This includes in particular the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, the promotion of organic farming, the implementation of the recommendations on good professional practice, the promotion of low-emission technologies and the strengthening of agri-environmental measures.

If all EU Member States comply with their national emission ceilings by 2010, it can be expected that health hazards for the population due to summer smog will be reduced by about two thirds as compared with 1990.

Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (TA Luft)

The 2002 Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control provide authorities with a modern instrument for controlling air pollution that creates greater legal and planning certainty. The immissions section (immission means the impact of pollutants on plants, animals and man) of these instructions contains provisions on protecting the public from unacceptably high pollution levels from installations. The emissions section (emission here means any discharge of pollutants into the air) contains requirements for precautionary action against harmful environmental impacts and specifies corresponding emissions values for all relevant air pollutants from installations. Both new and old industrial installations are taken into consideration equally. Old installations must also be upgraded to the best-available technology following appropriate transition periods.