On Thursday 15 March 2012, the Large Meeting Hall at Ljubljana City Hall played host to a meeting entitled ‘Air in Ljubljana - situation, trends, measures’.

The event, the central theme of which was air quality in Ljubljana, which was discussed from various points of view, was held under the umbrella of the EU CIVITAS ELAN project Examination of options to implement congestion charges for the entry of vehicles into the narrow city centre measures.

Polluted air has very negative impacts on human health, ecosystem vitality and on the state of built cultural heritage. Due to its lack of through air flow and pollution density, the Ljubljana Basin is particularly vulnerable to elevated levels of pollutants in the ambient air. Efforts to date to improve air quality in Ljubljana are clearly bearing fruit. Nevertheless, regarding strict EU norms, we in Ljubljana and the central Slovenian region face the prospect of exceeding permitted levels for PM10 particulates in the ambient air. To improve the situation, it will be necessary to resort to tougher measures and greater pollution controls.

The air quality situation in Ljubljana can be monitored at the following link.

At the meeting, there was also a presentation of the situation and trends based on more than four decades of monitoring measurements, the causes of excessive pollution levels and possible actions.

Meeting participants were addressed at the outset by City of Ljubljana Deputy Mayor Prof Janez Koželj, who outlined the City’s proposed Transport Policy.

CIVITAS ELAN