Recital 7

(7) When taking the relevant measures at Union and national level to achieve the zero-pollution objective for air pollution, Member States, the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission should be guided by the precautionary principle, and by the principles that preventive action should be taken, that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay, established in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and by the ‘do no harm’ principle of the European Green Deal, also acknowledging the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as recognised in Resolution 76/300 adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on 28 July 2022. They should, inter alia, take into account the following elements: the contribution of improved air quality to human health, the quality of the environment and ecosystem resilience, the well-being of citizens, equality and the protection of sensitive population and vulnerable groups, healthcare costs, the prosperity of society, employment and the competitiveness of the economy; the energy transition, strengthened energy security and the tackling of energy poverty; food security and affordability; the development of sustainable and smart mobility and transport solutions and related infrastructure; the impact of behavioural changes; the impact of fiscal policies; fairness and solidarity across and within Member States, in light of their economic capability, national circumstances, such as the specificities of islands, and the need for convergence over time; the need to make the transition just and socially fair through appropriate education and training programmes, including for healthcare professionals; the best available and most up-to-date scientific evidence, in particular findings reported by the WHO; the need to integrate air pollution related risks into investment and planning decisions; cost-effectiveness, the best available technological solutions and technological neutrality in achieving air pollutant emission reductions, and progression over time in environmental integrity and level of ambition.

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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.