Twenty-one EU Member States met their 2020-2029 national emission reduction commitments for all five main air pollutants in 2024, while six failed to meet commitments for at least one pollutant, according to a briefing published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on 1 July 2026. The briefing, titled "Air pollution in Europe — 2026 reporting status under the National Emission reduction Commitments Directive," is based on data reported by Member States in 2026 for 2024 emissions. It highlights that reducing ammonia (NH3) emissions remains the main challenge, with four Member States — Hungary, Latvia, Portugal and Sweden — still needing to cut NH3 emissions to meet their 2020-2029 commitments. The most significant progress has been made on sulphur dioxide (SO2), with 25 Member States already meeting their stricter 2030 reduction commitments.
The NEC Directive (EU/2016/2284) sets national emission reduction commitments for ammonia, non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOX), fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and sulphur dioxide. The current reduction obligations apply from 2020 to 2029, with stricter obligations from 2030 onwards. The briefing notes that in 2024, two Member States (Cyprus and Lithuania) did not meet their NOX commitments, and Cyprus also fell short on SO2, PM2.5 and NMVOCs. For the 2030 targets, 21 Member States need to further reduce emissions of at least one pollutant. NOX is the pollutant for which most Member States need additional effort, followed by PM2.5 and NH3. Six Member States — Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Greece, the Netherlands and Slovakia — have already met all their 2030 reduction commitments.
The briefing places the findings in the context of the European Green Deal and the Zero Pollution Action Plan, which aims to reduce premature deaths from air pollution by 55% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, and to reduce the area of EU ecosystems where air pollution threatens biodiversity by 25%. It also references the European Commission's evaluation of the NEC Directive completed in December 2025, which concluded that the directive has effectively contributed to reducing emissions but pointed to the need for additional efforts to meet 2030 targets and the EU's revised air quality standards. The EEA emphasises that meeting the more stringent 2030 commitments will require considerable effort, especially for NH3 from agriculture, NOX from road transport and energy supply, and PM2.5 from residential heating and industry.
EU citizens stand to benefit from improved air quality and reduced health risks if targets are met, while national authorities face pressure to implement additional measures, particularly in agriculture and transport. Industry sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and energy supply may face new compliance costs, but also opportunities from cleaner technologies. The EEA notes that every euro spent on clean air yields benefits worth EUR 4-13, according to the Commission's evaluation.