1. In order to move towards achieving levels of air quality that do not give rise to significant negative impacts on and risks to human health and the environment, this Directive establishes the emission reduction commitments for the Member States' anthropogenic atmospheric emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO_{2}), nitrogen oxides (NO_{x}), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC), ammonia (NH3) and fine particulate matter (PM_{2,5}) and requires that national air pollution control programmes be drawn up, adopted and implemented and that emissions of those pollutants and the other pollutants referred to in Annex I, as well as their impacts, be monitored and reported.
2. This Directive also contributes to achieving:
the air quality objectives set out in Union legislation and progress towards the Union's long-term objective of achieving levels of air quality in line with the air quality guidelines published by the World Health Organisation;
the Union's biodiversity and ecosystem objectives in line with the 7th Environment Action Programme;
enhanced synergies between the Union's air quality policy and other relevant Union policies, in particular climate and energy policies.