Despite improvements in recent years, European cities are still too noisy and air pollution has not decreased sufficiently. The auditors find this lag concerning because stricter environmental requirements are planned for the coming years.
Three quarters of the population live in urban areas and are exposed to air pollution and noise nuisance. According to the European Environment Agency, at least 250,000 people die annually in Europe as a result of air pollution. Additionally, prolonged exposure to excessive noise levels can have negative health effects, such as sleep disorders, anxiety, cognitive impairments, and mental health problems.
Each year, 48,000 new cases of heart disease and 12,000 premature deaths are recorded in Europe due to these factors. The EU has introduced legislation to protect its 450 million citizens from air pollution and noise pollution. Furthermore, the European Commission allocated 46.4 billion euros for the period 2014-2020 and 185.5 billion euros for 2021-2027 to support clean air objectives.
"Progress has been made in the fight against urban pollution. However, we still have a long way to go before we can rest on our laurels," says Klaus-Heiner Lehne, the ECA member responsible for the audit. "The EU and its member states must realize that these ambitious goals can only be achieved with considerable additional efforts."
The auditors acknowledge that the air quality has generally improved. However, they warn that air pollution—particularly the concentration of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) caused by cars and trucks—remains a major problem.
Noise is also a form of urban pollution, but it is often overlooked. The Court of Auditors' researchers conclude that it is virtually impossible to measure progress in reducing noise pollution. Noise monitoring in most member states is inadequate and outdated, so trends cannot be established.
The fact is that cities struggle to effectively tackle air pollution and noise nuisance. There are various reasons for this: from poor coordination by authorities to questionable effectiveness of measures, not to mention local opposition to such measures.