Air Quality Expert Group

Issued jointly by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Scottish Executive, The National Assembly for Wales, and the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland

Latest information

• Requirements for AQEG Particulate Matter Report - 21 October 2003 (31 KB)
• Defra Seminar on Particulate Matter - 23 September 2003 (13 KB)

Contents:

• Introduction
• Terms of Reference
• Membership of AQEG
• Contact Addresses
• Work Programme/Meetings:
  • Work Programme
  • Agenda and Minutes of Meetings
  • Future Meetings
• Code of Practice for members of the Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG)
• Draft reports
• Register of Interests
• News Releases
• Links to Other Sites

Introduction

The Air Quality Expert Group (AQEG) is a new advisory group, which will provide independent scientific advice on air quality, in particular the air pollutants contained in the Air Quality Strategy (AQS) for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and those covered by the EU Directive on ambient air quality assessment and management (the Air Quality Framework Directive).

AQEG will replace the Airborne Particles Expert Group, who published their report on 'Source apportionment of airborne particulate matter in the UK' in January 1999. The Group will consider current knowledge on air pollution and provide advice on such things as the levels, sources and characteristics of air pollutants in the UK.

AQEG will report to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Scottish Ministers, the National Assembly for Wales and the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland (the Government and Devolved Administrations). AQEG will be an advisory non-departmental public body in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In terms of the Scotland Act 1998, the Group will be a jointly established body. Members of the Group are drawn from those with a proven track record in the fields of air pollution research and practice.

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Terms of Reference

AQEG's main functions will be:

• to give advice on levels, sources and characteristics of air pollutants in the UK;
• assessing the extent of exceedences of AQS objectives and proposed objectives, EU limit values and proposed or possible objectives and limit values, where monitoring data is not available;
• analysis of trends in pollutant concentrations;
• assessing current and future ambient concentrations of air pollutants in the UK; and
• to suggest potential priority areas for future research aimed at providing a better understanding of the issues that need to be addressed in setting air quality objectives.
• AQEG will not give approval for products or equipment.

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Contact Addresses

AQEG Secretariat
Defra
4/E14, Ashdown House
123 Victoria Street
London
SW1E 6DE
Tel: +44 (0)20 7082 8421
Fax: +44 (0)20 7082 8385
E-mail air.quality@defra.gsi.gov.uk

All correspondence for AQEG should be sent through the Secretariat. Members cannot guarantee a reply on AQEG business to any communication sent directly to them.

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News Releases

See "Air Quality Expert Group members appointed" - News Release, 18 July 2002

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Links to Other Sites

• The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Scottish Executive
• National Assembly for Wales
• Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland)
• National Air Quality Information Archive
• Department of Health Air Pollution pages
• Committee on Medical Effects of Air Pollution (COMEAP)
• Expert Panel on Air Quality Standards
• Cabinet Office Quangoes website

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