Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

SECTION 1 Assessment of ambient air quality in relation to sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter, lead, benzene and carbon monoxide

Article 5 Assessment regime

1. The upper and lower assessment thresholds specified in Section A of Annex II shall apply to sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter (PM₁₀ and PM_2,5), lead, benzene and carbon monoxide.

Each zone and agglomeration shall be classified in relation to those assessment thresholds.

2. The classification referred to in paragraph 1 shall be reviewed at least every five years in accordance with the procedure laid down in Section B of Annex II.

However, classifications shall be reviewed more frequently in the event of significant changes in activities relevant to the ambient concentrations of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide or, where relevant, oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter (PM₁₀, PM_2,5), lead, benzene or carbon monoxide.

Article 6 Assessment criteria

1. Member States shall assess ambient air quality with respect to the pollutants referred to in Article 5 in all their zones and agglomerations, in accordance with the criteria laid down in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of this Article and in accordance with the criteria laid down in Annex III.

2. In all zones and agglomerations where the level of pollutants referred to in paragraph 1 exceeds the upper assessment threshold established for those pollutants, fixed measurements shall be used to assess the ambient air quality. Those fixed measurements may be supplemented by modelling techniques and/or indicative measurements to provide adequate information on the spatial distribution of the ambient air quality.

3. In all zones and agglomerations where the level of pollutants referred to in paragraph 1 is below the upper assessment threshold established for those pollutants, a combination of fixed measurements and modelling techniques and/or indicative measurements may be used to assess the ambient air quality.

4. In all zones and agglomerations where the level of pollutants referred to in paragraph 1 is below the lower assessment threshold established for those pollutants, modelling techniques or objective-estimation techniques or both shall be sufficient for the assessment of the ambient air quality.

5. In addition to the assessments referred to in paragraphs 2, 3 and 4, measurements shall be made, at rural background locations away from significant sources of air pollution, for the purposes of providing, as a minimum, information on the total mass concentration and the chemical speciation concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM_2,5) on an annual average basis and shall be conducted using the following criteria:

(a) one sampling point shall be installed every 100 000 km²;

(b) each Member State shall set up at least one measuring station or may, by agreement with adjoining Member States, set up one or several common measuring stations, covering the relevant neighbouring zones, to achieve the necessary spatial resolution;

(c) where appropriate, monitoring shall be coordinated with the monitoring strategy and measurement programme of the Cooperative Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Long-range Transmission of Air Pollutants in Europe (EMEP);

(d) Sections A and C of Annex I shall apply in relation to the data quality objectives for mass concentration measurements of particulate matter and Annex IV shall apply in its entirety.

Member States shall inform the Commission of the measurement methods used in the measurement of the chemical composition of fine particulate matter (PM_2,5).

Article 7 Sampling points

1. The location of sampling points for the measurement of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxides of nitrogen, particulate matter (PM₁₀, PM_2,5), lead, benzene and carbon monoxide in ambient air shall be determined using the criteria listed in Annex III.

2. In each zone or agglomeration where fixed measurements are the sole source of information for assessing air quality, the number of sampling points for each relevant pollutant shall not be less than the minimum number of sampling points specified in Section A of Annex V.

3. For zones and agglomerations within which information from fixed measurement sampling points is supplemented by information from modelling and/or indicative measurement, the total number of sampling points specified in Section A of Annex V may be reduced by up to 50 %, provided that the following conditions are met:

(a) the supplementary methods provide sufficient information for the assessment of air quality with regard to limit values or alert thresholds, as well as adequate information for the public;

(b) the number of sampling points to be installed and the spatial resolution of other techniques are sufficient for the concentration of the relevant pollutant to be established in accordance with the data quality objectives specified in Section A of Annex I and enable assessment results to meet the criteria specified in Section B of Annex I.

The results of modelling and/or indicative measurement shall be taken into account for the assessment of air quality with respect to the limit values.

4. The application in Member States of the criteria for selecting sampling points shall be monitored by the Commission so as to facilitate the harmonised application of those criteria throughout the European Union.

Article 8 Reference measurement methods

1. Member States shall apply the reference measurement methods and criteria specified in Section A and Section C of Annex VI.

2. Other measurement methods may be used subject to the conditions set out in Section B of Annex VI.