On 11 June 2026, EFA joined forces with the EU-funded SynAir-G project at the European Parliament for a roundtable on indoor air quality and children's health. 137 researchers, clinicians, patient advocates and policymakers came together to turn science into policy action.
As a partner in SynAir-G, EFA leads communication and dissemination activities and contributes to the drafting of policy guidelines for action on indoor air quality.
MEP Aurelijus Veryga (ECR), who hosted the event, knows this issue personally as a parent and former school board member: "It is difficult to find a child without allergies today. Poor air quality is one of the key drivers. We still face the same indoor air challenges and new ones like vapes. As politicians and researchers, we can move things forward."
A day of science, stories and a clear call for policy action on children's indoor air quality
The numbers set the scene. 1 in 4 school children suffers from allergies today and by 2050 it could be half of the population. Children breathe faster, stay closer to the ground and spend most of their time indoors, making them uniquely vulnerable. And indoor air can be just as polluted as outdoors.
The discussion moved from data to action. Panagiotis-Minos Chaslaridis (EFA, SynAir-G) opened with a pressing call to protect children and Kristina Siemens (SynAir-G, GA2LEN) presented the roadmap: equipping healthcare professionals, raising awareness and giving families better tools to act. Mario Lovrić (EDIAQI) flagged that many schools sit next to heavy traffic with countless indoor pollutants still unregulated and Dr. Tamas Szigeti (National Center for Public Health and Pharmacy, Hungary) added that most studies still look at single pollutants in isolation rather than understanding how chemicals act together on children's developing bodies. Lula Timmerman (Federal Public Service Health, Belgium) explained what makes policy work in practice. The legal framework determines what you can actually achieve in countries and enforcement matters as much as ambition. "Don't try to be perfect. Try to improve," Lula said.
On the policy side, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive now has a dedicated place for indoor air quality in its 2024 recast. Bogdan Atanasiu (DG Energy): "We have the ingredients and now member states need to put regulatory measures and financing in place." Dr. Irina Zastenskaya (WHO) widened the lens further, reminding the room that indoor air quality shapes neurodevelopment and that strong regulatory frameworks built on a safe-by-design approach are essential.
EFA members speak from lived experience with asthma and allergies
EFA member representatives Mikaela Odemyr and Špela Novak spoke from their own experience as a parent carer and patient advocate and brought the human reality of living with asthma and allergies to the policy table.
Mikaela Odemyr from Astma- och Allergiförbundet (Sweden), a patient advocate and parent carer of a child with asthma and allergies, shared what navigating schools, triggers and an under-resourced system really looks like and the difference better ventilation made in her son's classroom: "You need to bring in the people who make decisions if you want something to change."
Špela Novak from Društvo Atopijski dermatitis (Slovenia) brought the same urgency to the policy level. Awareness matters but it cannot be where the effort stops: "It is awful that a child's health depends on the person standing in front of them and not on the law. This needs to be written into legislation and not just recommendations or guidelines."
EFA and SynAir-G will continue working towards healthier indoor environments for children across Europe
Thank you to all speakers for a strong day of science, stories and shared commitment to cleaner indoor air for children, to SynAir-G for a truly collaborative event, and to MEP Aurelijus Veryga for hosting and supporting healthier indoor environments for children.
EFA will continue working with scientists and the EFA community towards healthier indoor environments for children across Europe.
Read our policy priorities on indoor air quality: IDEAL Cluster Policy Brief