European environment and health

A report by the European Environmental Agency shows that as many as 60 000 deaths a year and 25-33% of diseases in industrialised European cities are caused by long-term exposure to air pollution, with children increasingly at risk to asthma and allergies triggered by bad air. To reverse this alarming trend, the European Commission launched, in June 2004, a strategy and action plan – European Environment and Health Strategy – to reduce diseases linked to environmental factors.

European research must provide key knowledge to better target and implement action and policy-making at EU and national level. The strategy – known by its acronym SCALE – is based on five key elements:

• Science – to broaden our perspective on the often very complex link between environment and health
• Children – since they are particularly vulnerable to environmental hazards
• Awareness-raising – so people know of the environmental-health problems and how they can be solved
• Legislation – EU regulations will complement national and international initiatives
• Evaluation – continual verification of how effective the strategy is in reducing known environment-related health problems and addressing new ones as they develop.

The strategy is being implemented in cycles. The first cycle, running from 2004-2010, is focusing on four health effects:

• Childhood respiratory diseases, asthma, allergies
• Neurodevelopment disorders
• Childhood cancer
• Endocrine disrupting effects