Article 16

1. Member States may, for a given year, identify: zones where exceedances of limit values for a given pollutant are attributable to natural sources; and average exposure territorial units, where exceedances of the level determined by the average exposure reduction obligations are attributable to natural sources. 2. Member States shall provide the Commission with lists of any such zones and average exposure territorial units, as referred to in paragraph 1, together with information on concentrations and sources and the evidence demonstrating that the exceedances are attributable to natural sources. 3. Where the Commission has been informed of an exceedance attributable to natural sources in accordance with paragraph 2, that exceedance shall not be considered as an exceedance for the purposes of this Directive. If the Commission considers that the evidence provided by a Member State is not sufficient, it shall inform that Member State that the exceedance is not considered to be attributable to natural sources until that Member State provides appropriate additional information. 4. By 31 December 2026, the Commission shall provide, by means of implementing acts, technical details on the demonstration and subtraction of exceedances attributable to natural sources. Such technical details shall specify the content of the evidence to be provided by Member States pursuant to paragraph 2. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 26(2).

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-10-16 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.