Description
The European Copernicus program, through its Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS), regularly publishes reports on air quality in Europe. The benchmark report for 2023 has just been released by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Drafted primarily by INERIS, the coordinator of the service dedicated to supporting public policy, this publication differs from a previous Copernicus Service report released in 2024. It is based on the CAMS reanalysis, which combines simulations from eleven European reference models with observational data validated and officially reported by Member States. This approach provides a particularly robust baseline estimate of air quality.
The report provides an overview of air quality in Europe in 2023, focusing on the main regulated air pollutants that impact health: ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5). It provides a detailed description of spatial variability and presents several key indicators, including average pollution levels, population exposure, and exceedances of regulatory thresholds, as defined by the European Directive on Ambient Air Quality (2024/2881) and recommended by the World Health Organization (2021). An analysis of seasonal, interannual, and long-term trends complements these findings, providing a better understanding of how air pollution varies from region to region and over time.
Regarding the year 2023, a decrease in emissions in the energy sector is notable compared to previous years, consistent with the expected effects of reduction policies in Europe. In terms of weather, 2023 was generally warm and humid, with a less extreme summer than in 2022. These conditions influenced ozone formation, which is highly temperature-dependent, and milder temperatures in the spring and fall may have reduced emissions from residential heating. In addition, frequent rainfall events promoted wet deposition processes, contributing to a decrease in fine particulate matter concentrations across much of Europe.
