The adoption of the effect based approach to identify those emission reductions of air pollutants, needed to effectively protect human health and environment, led to the introduction of emission ceiling into the European legislation, for the main air pollutants causing phenomena of acidification, eutrophication and formation of ground level ozone. These ceilings are based on the results of analysis carried out by Integrated Assessment Models which are able to calculate present and future pollutants emission levels, transport in the atmosphere and deposition even at long range, ground level concentrations and/or exceedances in deposition compared with threshold values established for the protection of eco-systems, as well as costs of application of the emission control strategies. In this context, a number of activities devoted to the development of all the elements needed for the integrated assessment analysis have been started in Italy. In particular, an Italian version of the Integrated Assessment Model RAINS Europe, developed by IIASA and officially used for both the negotiations in the frame of the Gothenburg Protocol and the elaboration of the NEC Directive, is under development. The Emission and Cost Modules of the Italian version of the RAINS model have been used to develop middle-term emission scenarios in order to verify Italy's compliance to the provisions of the NEC Directive, as well as to the targets set by the Gothenburg Protocol. Moreover, alternative/complementary control measures, in case of non compliance, have been investigated to provide the policy makers with a range of policy options.

cited By 12