Germany's National Air Pollution Control Program, established in 2019 and updated in May 2024, aims to reduce emissions of pollutants like Ammonia, Fine Particles, Sulfur Dioxide, and Nitrogen Oxide to meet European targets.

The Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg ruled that Germany must refine parts of its National Air Pollution Control Program as current measures are insufficient to achieve European air pollution reduction goals.

The Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) partially succeeded in its legal challenge against the German government regarding the adequacy of measures listed in the National Air Pollution Control Program.

The agriculture sector in Germany is to be mandated to reduce its pollutant emissions, particularly by decreasing the use of fertilizers to lower Ammonia emissions.

In 2021, Fine Particles were responsible for approximately 68,000 premature deaths in Germany according to the European Environment Agency.

Air pollutants, such as particulate matter, pose significant health risks, with an estimated 238,000 deaths in the EU in 2020, including about 28,900 deaths in Germany.

Criticism from the court highlighted that the German government used outdated data in its program, affecting the credibility of air quality forecasts.

There is a possibility of political conflict within the coalition as the government may seek revision at the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig to challenge the court's requirements.

The ruling is provisional and subject to appeal at the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig, delaying its finality.