Written question asked by Lord Dykes (Liberal Democrat), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Labour) on Tuesday, 27 January 2009.

Pollution

Question: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proposals they will make to the international community to achieve wider take-up of the European Union's measures on ground-level ozone pollution.

Answer: The Government are fully engaged with international efforts to reduce ground-level ozone and the associated harmful effects on ecosystems and public health. As signatories to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution, the UK, the United States and most other European countries have ratified the 1999 Gothenburg protocol. The Gothenburg protocol aims to address acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone by setting emission ceilings, to be met by 2010, for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and ammonia. Technical annexes to the protocol and supporting guidance documents provide information on how to meet those ceilings. Within the EU, the main obligations of the protocol have since been given effect through several measures that help to tackle ground-level ozone pollution, notably the national emission ceilings directive (2001/81/EC). The Government support action to promote ratification of the Gothenburg protocol by non-EU countries.

Secondary information