The Ministry of the Environment is launching a public consultation for the amendment of an order that will allow the publication of hourly data on pollutants, thus improving the information available to citizens.

The Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests has announced the launch of a public consultation for a draft Order to amend Order no. 1818/2020, which will allow for the real-time publication of air quality data. This amendment is essential to provide citizens with accurate and easily understandable information about pollutants, instead of the media of the last 24 hours, as was previously the case. The Minister of Environment, Diana Buzoianu, emphasized the importance of this update, mentioning a recent incident where official sensors indicated favorable values, while in reality, the air quality was poor.

The proposed amendments include switching to hourly calculation of the air quality index and updating the concentration ranges for pollutants, according to European standards. Additionally, informative messages will be introduced for the population, corresponding to each air quality index, to guide citizens based on environmental conditions. The project is available on the Ministry's website, and comments can be submitted within 10 days.