Moldova and another six countries included in air quality management project

07.06.2011 14:13
1866
2 minute(s)

Transport in Moldova is over 80% accountable for air pollution, Deputy Minister of the Environment Rodion Bajureanu said in the launch of a new regional project “Air Quality Management in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia – AIR-Q-GOV”, Info-Prim Neo reports. The deputy minister said the legislative framework will be examined and proposals to adjust the legislation to the standards and directives of the EU will be submitted. He spoke about the application of the European norms on transport, especially as regards the working life of vehicles. “In order to prevent pollution and certain unfavorable effects, we should use certain quality criteria and measurements before import,” said Radion Bajureanu. He stressed that the situation in Moldova will be studied in particular because it is specific compared with the other countries involved in the project. 86% of air pollution in Moldova is due to transport. In other countries, the main pollution source is industry. According to Dutch expert Serghei Skokov, the quality of air in the countries covered by the project leaves much to be desired. A quality standard on fuel should be set in order to remedy the situation. The people should realize the necessity of using public transport more, especially because many private cars do not meet the technical norms. The €7 million project covers Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia, and Ukraine. It will be implemented during 48 months. The regional project “Air Quality Management in Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia– AIR-Q-GOV” has been launched by the European Commission within the European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument East Regional Action Program 2009.