The project improved the accessibility and use of air quality measurement data in the region by building capacity and providing methodology and information technology tools based on the EU Air Quality Directives and the European Air Quality Index. Increasing the use and public accessibility of air quality measurement data contributed to the implementation of the SEIS. The EEA delivered two regional workshops on air quality monitoring and several national events.

Air pollution is hard to escape, no matter where you live. Poor air quality has considerable economic impacts: increasing medical costs, reducing workers’ productivity, and damaging soil, crops, forests, lakes and rivers. Air pollution can seriously affect your health and the environment. Online access to air quality data is a cornerstone of good environmental governance, as it provides information for citizens and decision-makers. Reliable air quality data enable policymakers to take targeted action. 

In Moldova, national experts, together with the team from the EEA, Norwegian Institute for Air Research and 4sfera, evaluated the status of the air quality monitoring in terms of legal and institutional frameworks. They reviewed the existing ICT infrastructure and monitoring system and focused on quality assurance and data processing, dissemination and final reporting. The expert team evaluated and identified existing air quality data from the Environment Agency of the Republic of Moldova and identified possibilities for disseminating and reporting the data, taking EU Air Quality Directive 2008/50 as a baseline reference.

The EEA team trained national experts on using the RAVEN+ platform used by the EEA to manage air quality data. The platform was successfully deployed on the Environment Agency of the Republic of Moldova’s server. These activities support Moldova’s upcoming legislation on air quality, which is based on the EU directive and is due to receive government approval by the end of 2020.