On Friday, 21 February 2025, Eurovent’s Secretary General Francesco Scuderi will participate as a speaker in a webinar by Synair-G and EDIAQI titled ‘Mind the Gap: Toward a Comprehensive European Union Act on Indoor Air Quality’.

Healthy air is enshrined as a fundamental right in 19 EU Member States. Yet, despite indoor air pollution levels often being two to three times higher than outdoor levels and in extreme cases up to 100 times higher, there is no specific EU-level legislation governing Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). The current regulatory landscape remains fragmented, addressing only certain pollutants in specific environments. At the international level, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Indoor Air Quality Guidelines provide the only recognised reference for IAQ standards. While the recent revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directives offers robust European-level legislation for outdoor air quality, there remains a significant gap for indoor spaces. Air quality, however, does not stop at the doorstep.

Despite this uneven patchwork, several national-level initiatives across EU Member States could serve as models for a broader European framework. For example, France mandates IAQ monitoring in establishments frequented by vulnerable populations, such as schools and nurseries. Given this context, the Synair-G and EDIAQI projects, both members of the IDEAL Cluster, are convening this webinar to explore the following key questions:

• Which national and regional-level frameworks in Europe serve as exemplary models for a comprehensive approach to indoor air quality, and how could they inform a European-wide strategy?
• What are the main obstacles—whether legal, political, or technical—to the formation of EU-wide legislation on indoor air quality, and what research or data is needed to support its development?
• What should a comprehensive EU legislative act on indoor air quality encompass, and how can it effectively address the diverse challenges across Member States?

Webinar agenda:

• 10:30-10:35h | Welcome and Introduction (Moderator)
• 10:35-10:40h | Universal Clean Air for All: The Global Open Air Quality Standards Approach (Francesca Brady, GO AQS)
• 10:40-10:45h | The Eurovent Manifesto: A Roadmap for Comprehensive HVACR Legislation in Europe (Francesco Scuderi, Eurovent)
• 10:45-10:50h | Supporting Indoor Air Quality Policy Formulation: Insights and the Role of the IDEAL Cluster (Panagiotis Chaslaridis, European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations)
• 10:50-10:55h | Translating Indoor Air Quality Science into Policy: Insights from Academia (Pasquale Avino, University of Molise)
• 10:55-11:10h | Panel Discussion – Mind the Gap: Toward a Comprehensive European Union Act on Indoor Air Quality (Moderator + Panellists)
• 11:10-11:25h |  Questions from the Audience (Moderator + Panellists)
• 11:25-11:30h |  Concluding Remarks (Moderator)

Join in as the Eurovent Secretary General Francesco Scuderi will present the challenges faced by the industry and policymakers in standardising IAQ across Europe, insights into the collaborations needed between industry stakeholders and regulators, and how initiatives like the Zero Pollution Action Plan pave the way for future legislation. Registration is free of charge and available via the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mind-the-gap-toward-a-comprehensive-eu-act-on-indoor-air-quality-tickets-1216483277229