Overview
- The European Environment Agency’s new report, using 2024–2025 data from 39 countries including the EU‑27, finds cleaner air overall but persistent hotspots.
- Nearly one in five monitoring stations still recorded ground‑level ozone above current EU limits.
- More than 90% of people in European cities were exposed to pollution above the World Health Organization’s stricter guideline values.
- All countries now comply with EU limits for cadmium, and levels of carbon monoxide and lead have fallen.
- Many stations still exceed EU thresholds for other pollutants, prompting a call for targeted cuts to fine particles to lower risks of respiratory and cardiovascular disease.