Key points from article :
A group of public health experts warns that proposed delays in meeting EU air pollution limits will lead to more early deaths and widen the inequality gap between eastern and western Europe.
The World Health Organization has set guidelines for safe air quality levels, emphasising that no level of pollution is safe to breathe.
Doctors advocate for meeting air quality limits by the end of the decade, while EU negotiators propose delays ranging from 2035 to 2040, with weaker limits in place.
Delays in reducing pollution levels are linked to increased death and disease rates, with an estimated 330,000 more early deaths if limits aren't met by 2040.
Poorer European countries, facing challenges in investing in cleaner technologies, may be allowed to delay meeting air quality targets until 2040, based on proposed EU regulations.
Health experts emphasise the need for fair and ambitious EU air quality legislation, stressing the economic benefits of meeting WHO guidelines by 2030, which could save €38bn annually.
