A provisional deal has been struck between MEPs and Council negotiators on new rules to curb air pollutants that are linked to human health problems such as ammonia, from manure and fertiliser, and machinery emissions. A target for methane from animals has been left out of it as farm lobby organisations warned that it would cause job losses and require animals to be housed indoors in slatted housing.

The news comes as part of the revision to the National Emissions Ceiling Directive (NEC) to limit air pollutants. National targets within the deal made on Thursday are binding until 2030.

The EU must meet an overall reduction target of 18% by 2030 even though the Commission and MEPs sought a higher target. A 46% cut for fine particular matter was also agreed; this applies to dust from agricultural machinery.

"With this directive we will combat air pollution, a killer that annually causes over 400 000 premature deaths,” said Dutch environment minister Sharon Dijksma.

It is estimated that if these targets are reached it will cut the health impact of air pollution by almost 50% in 2030, compared to 2005.

“The agreement reached today will cut those impacts by half over coming years,” Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella said.

The level of flexibility allowed in meeting the targets permits a country to average out annual emissions over three years. This allows for unexpected weather events such as exceptionally cold winters or dry summers.

May come back in future

However, on Monday, MEP and vice-president of the European Parliament, Mairead McGuiness confirmed that the methane cuts will not be required by the EU for now.

The European commission has said that a review of methane emissions could be held in the future.

Mairead McGuiness said, "while methane emission reduction have been excluded from the agreement, this may come back in future discussions and is an issue which the agriculture sector may be required to address."

MEPs are scheduled to vote on the deal in autumn following a vote in the Environment Committee on 12 July.

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