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The zero pollution vision for 2050  has been released setting up key targets by 2030 to speed up reducing pollution at source. These targets include:

  • improving air quality to reduce the number of premature deaths caused by air pollution by 55%;
  • improving water quality by reducing waste, plastic litter at sea (by 50%) and microplastics released into the environment (by 30%);
  • improving soil quality by reducing nutrient losses and chemical pesticides’ use by 50%;
  • reducing by 25% the EU ecosystems where air pollution threatens biodiversity;
  • reducing the share of people chronically disturbed by transport noise by 30%, and 
  • significantly reducing waste generation and by 50% residual municipal waste.

The farming sector is in the focus of this new action considering already the ambitious reduction targets set by the Farm-to-Fork strategy. To make this Zero Pollution Plan a success, a particular emphasis is granted to the Common Agricultural Policy via conditionality measures and eco-schemes. Next to that, the revision of the Directive on Sustainable Use of Pesticides will be crucial in order to enhance the uptake of integrated pest management. CEMA is already taking part in the discussions as a key stakeholder to raise the need for a harmonized certification framework for Drift Reduction Technologies across Europe (check) that will support full deployment of new technologies contributing significantly to the F2F reduction targets.

For more information on ‘Zero Pollution Action Plan’ for air, water and soil’ click here