We spend 90% of our time indoors, yet indoor air quality (IAQ) remains overlooked in EU policymaking. For millions of people with allergy and respiratory diseases like asthma, this neglect has real consequences. Breathing should not be a health risk, but without an EU-wide IAQ framework, it often is.
This is why the Mind the Gap: Toward a Comprehensive European Union Act on Indoor Air Quality webinar, co-organised by the SynAir-G and EDIAQI projects, was a timely and urgent discussion. Both projects are part of IDEAL Cluster, a group of seven projects aiming to enhance understanding on the health impacts of IAQ.
As part of the SynAir-G project, EFA talked about the learnings of working on the policy aspects of the Cluster. Importantly, EFA also brought the patient perspective to the table, emphasising the critical need to protect those most affected by poor IAQ.
The science-policy disconnect
EFA’s Panagiotis Chaslaridis addressed one of the biggest challenges: the widespread perception that IAQ is a national rather than an EU-level issue. This assumption has stalled the development of strong, harmonised regulations, despite decades of evidence linking poor IAQ to significant health burdens.
“The EU Treaties give the EU a strong responsibility to protect public health. Given the mounting evidence on IAQ’s health impacts, it’s time for IAQ to be formally recognised as a public health issue that requires an EU-wide response,” Panagiotis stressed.
Another challenge is the disconnect between existing EU regulations and IAQ standards developed by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN). While scientific advances continue to refine how we measure and mitigate indoor pollution, these insights struggle to find their way into actionable policies.
Prioritising patients
For allergy and asthma patients, poor IAQ is not just an inconvenience, it is a daily battle. Some people cannot even open a window without triggering severe symptoms. Others must always keep emergency medication always within reach, never knowing when an indoor space will become hazardous to their health.
That is why vulnerable groups must not only be considered in IAQ policymaking but actively involved in shaping it. As both Brady and Chaslaridis highlighted, listening to the vulnerable communities and integrating their lived experiences into policy design is crucial.
Public awareness is also key. Despite mounting evidence of IAQ’s health risks, the issue remains largely invisible in public discourse. Initiatives like the EU Green Deal and Renovation Wave Strategy offer potential entry points for IAQ measures, but without public demand and political will, change will remain slow.
Time for an EU-Wide law on indoor air quality
The webinar made one thing clear: IAQ cannot remain a policy afterthought. Europe needs a comprehensive IAQ framework with:
- A common EU definition of IAQ
- A sound legal basis for EU action
- Cohesion with relevant policies
- Minimum standards to protect the most vulnerable
- Strong public engagement to drive awareness and action
EFA and its community of patients will continue to push for better indoor air quality policies through SynAir-G project and beyond. Our priorities remain clear: raising awareness, ensuring strong and harmonised regulations, and advocating for policies that put patients first. We will keep working to make clean indoor air a fundamental part of public health policy in Europe.