prepAIR

The project proposes a series of actions to be implemented in a coordinated and integrated way in the Po Valley Basin area and in Slovenia to improve air quality and to comply with the 2008/50/EC directive and the European strategy "Clean Air for Europe".

The Po Valley Basin area is characterised by widespread problems of compliance with the limit values of atmospheric pollutants, due to the high concentration of human activities and emission sources, as well as to the territorial and meteorological characteristics (scarcity of winds, atmospheric stability, thermal inversion) that interact with the mechanisms of formation and removal of atmospheric pollutants and make it even more difficult to comply with air quality objectives. Slovenia is part of the partnership because it presents territorial similarities and situations similar to those of the Po basin.

Given the size of the area and the intrinsic characteristics of air pollution phenomena, planning and actions implemented on a local scale are not sufficient. In 2013, the Programme Agreement for the coordinated and joint adoption of air quality remediation measures was signed by all the regions of the Po basin, including the provinces of Trento and Bolzano, and by five ministries (Environment, Economic Development, Transport, Agriculture and Forestry, Health), with the aim of developing coordinated short- and long-term actions to improve air quality. Through this integrated PREPAIR project, it will be possible to implement at local level and in a coordinated manner some of the actions envisaged in the Agreement, which focus on the main emission sources: combustion of woody biomass, transport, agriculture, energy consumption of buildings.

The main objectives of the project are

- contribute to implementing the measures included in the regional and provincial Air Quality Protection Plans

- to implement synergic and coordinated actions at a basin scale

- increase know-how and capacity building of public and private bodies

- to develop and apply common tools and models at the Basin scale

- increase citizens' awareness of air quality and its impact on human health and the environment

- establish a lasting network between institutions from local to national level, socio-economic actors, research centres, etc.

- PREPAIR is an integrated project, i.e. in addition to carrying out activities with the project's own funds, the partners undertake to implement other measures to improve air quality through the use of other funds.

The Province of Trento has committed to the use of ERDF funds (European Funds for Regional Development) in the amount of 18,000,000 for the pillar concerning energy efficiency in buildings and production facilities.