Air quality in Europe 2026: over 30 % of monitoring stations above the particulate standards that apply from 2030
On 30 April 2026 the European Environment Agency published the report ‘Air quality status in Europe 2026’ with monitoring station data for 2024 and 2025. In 2024 more than 12 % of stations recorded concentrations of PM10, ozone and benzo(a)pyrene (each) above the current EU standards, and more than 30 % recorded particulate matter above the standards of Directive (EU) 2024/2881 that apply from 2030.
- Few stations meet the WHO guideline levels: in 2024 the annual level for PM2.5 was met at 166 of 2 223 stations and the peak-season level for ozone at 53 of 2 053.
- All countries meet the EU standards for cadmium, and only a few stations in Europe exceed the standards for SO2, CO, lead, arsenic and nickel; PM10, ground-level ozone and benzo(a)pyrene remain the problem.
- Directive (EU) 2024/2881 entered into force on 10 December 2024 and sets new standards to be attained by 1 January 2030; if concentrations exceed them between 2026 and 2029, Member States must assess whether they are on track and, if not, prepare air quality roadmaps.
- The report covers 39 countries and, as the EEA stresses, is not a compliance assessment but a comparison of the 2024 situation with the standards; the number of monitoring stations is expected to grow by 2030 to meet the new requirements, and networks and zones may be adjusted.
Source: European Environment Agency — Air quality status in Europe 2026 (30.04.2026)