EN EN EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, 12.5.2021 COM(2021) 400 final COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Pathway to a Healthy Planet for All EU Action Plan: 'Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil' {SWD(2021) 140 final} - {SWD(2021) 141 final} 1 1. INTRODUCTION While an unprecedented worldwide effort is under way to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, the persistent threats to the health of our planet call for urgent remedies too. Climate change, environmental pollution1, biodiversity loss and an unsustainable use of natural resources pose multiple risks to human, animal and ecosystem health. They include infectious and non-communicable diseases, antimicrobial resistance and water scarcity2. To build a Healthy Planet for All, the European Green Deal3 calls for the EU to better monitor, report, prevent and remedy air, water, soil and consumer products pollution, among other things. There is an urgency to act: Pollution can cause cancer, ischaemic heart disease, obstructive pulmonary disease, strokes, mental and neurological conditions, diabetes and more4 (see Figure 1). Despite tangible progress, in 2015 pollution still led to an estimated 9 million premature deaths worldwide (16% of all deaths) – three times more deaths than from AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined and 15 times more than from all wars and other forms of violence5. In the EU, every year, pollution causes 1 in 8 deaths6. Figure 1: Top 10 non-communicable diseases causing deaths attributable to the environment (Source: EEA – Healthy environment, healthy lives, 2018 based on WHO (2016)) The fight against pollution is also a...
