AQUILA-ACTRIS/RI-URBANS-EMEP Information Day for national air quality experts

  • A total of 152 participants from 69 institutions attended the workshop to discuss the implementation of supersites for the new EU Air Quality Directive

 

  • Key points were reached regarding the need for synergy and harmonisation of advanced air quality parameters

On June 19th, 2023, the 3rd RI-URBANS Stakeholder Meeting was celebrated as an AQUILA-ACTRIS/RI-URBANS-EMEP Information Day for national air quality experts to discuss the implementation of supersites in the proposal for the new Air Quality Directive.

Among the 152 attendees, there were representatives of DG ENV, WHO, WMO, ACTRIS, EMEP, AQUILA, RI-URBANS (from 20/26 partners); air quality national experts from 23 countries, regions, and cities; 7 RI-URBANS associated collaborators, and 12 national research centres and private companies.

The draft for a new EU Air Quality Directive mentions that ACTRIS (Aerosol, Clouds and Trace Gases Research Infrastructure) and EMEP (European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme) have major roles in the implementation of Article 10 on supersite measurements. Furthermore, AQUILA is the network of National Air Quality Reference Laboratories, and it will have a major role there.

“One of the objective of this workshop was to inform the national air quality experts on the capabilities of ACTRIS, EMEP and AQUILA”, declared Xavier Querol, co-coordinator of RI-URBANS and CSIC researcher.

The other main objective was to discuss the recommendations sent to DG ENV by ACTRIS/RI-URBANS for the measurement of advanced air quality parameters.

The key points reached during the meeting are as follows:

  • Promote synergy, harmonisation, and identifying additional resources.
    Although challenging, synergy among Air Quality Monitoring Networks (AQMNs) and Research Infrastructures (RIs) is needed to use the available resources and combine the scientific support and instrumentation already existing with the AQMNs’ expertise. Harmonisation should be implemented for ultrafine particle – Particle Number Size Distribution (UFP-PNSD), black carbon, and also oxidative potential.

  • To clarify in the Air Quality Directive the objectives of each advanced air quality parameter included in Art 10.

 

The summary of the meeting can be read in the corresponding Milestone 42 (M7.7):

 

The presentations from the 3rd Stakeholder Meeting are freely accessible: