May 28, 2024 –
At the 22nd session of the City Council of the City of Osijek, held on May 27, 2024, in the Great Hall of Osijek-Baranja County, the Action Plan for improving air quality in the area of the City of Osijek for the period 2024-2028 was unanimously adopted. The Action Plan was created by Oikon Ltd. – Institute of Applied Ecology.
The explanation of the Plan was presented by the Head of the Administrative Department for Spatial Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection, Nataša Bošnjak, B.Sc. Ing. Arch. Dr. Sc. Božica Šorgić, mag. chem., attended the session as the project leader from Oikon.
According to Article 54, Paragraph 1 of the Air Protection Act (“Official Gazette” No. 127/19 and 57/22), it is prescribed that an action plan for improving air quality must be adopted in cases where the levels of pollutants in the air exceed the limit values. The preparation of the Action Plan is ensured by the competent administrative body of the local self-government unit, and the plan must be adopted by the representative body of that unit.
The results of monitoring the concentrations of PM10 particles at the Osijek-1 measuring station showed multiple exceedances of the limit values. In 2019, 82 days were recorded, and in 2020, 74 days of exceeding the limit value for daily PM10 concentrations. In 2021, the number of exceedances amounted to 91 days, and in 2022, 69 days, which is significantly more than the allowed 35 days of exceedances in an individual calendar year.
The development of the Action Plan began in 2020 to ensure the achievement of the threshold values in the shortest possible time. The Action Plan was prepared in accordance with Article 5 of the Ordinance on Mutual Exchange of Information and Reporting on Air Quality and Obligations for the Implementation of Commission Decision 2011/850/EU (“Official Gazette”, number 26/23).
The adoption of this Action Plan represents a significant step towards improving the air quality and health of the residents of the City of Osijek.
