On July 1st, the European Environment Agency (EEA) published a policy brief evaluating the compliance of European Union Member States with national emission reduction commitments for atmospheric pollutants. The general message is positive: most Member States are on track to meet emission reduction targets for the 2020–2029 period. However, the report also issues a clear warning: reducing ammonia emissions remains one of Europe’s greatest challenges.
Ammonia is primarily emitted by the agricultural sector, particularly through manure management, fertilizer application, and other practices associated with animal and plant production. Despite being less well-known than other pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide or particulate matter, ammonia plays a central role in air pollution. It contributes to the formation of secondary fine particles and to nitrogen deposition in ecosystems, which can cause eutrophication, soil acidification, loss of biodiversity, and alterations to ecosystem functioning.
The European Environment Agency itself emphasizes that, although there has been a general downward trend in emissions of major pollutants since 2005, achieving more stringent commitments for 2030 and beyond will require additional efforts, especially regarding ammonia, nitrogen oxides, and fine particles.
It is in this context that the European project “FONDA: FOstering Nitrogen Deposition Assessment over Portugal”, funded by the Horizon Europe program with €1.1 million, gains particular relevance. The project, coordinated by the University of Aveiro and recently concluded on June 30th, aimed to strengthen national scientific capacity to assess the emissions, transport, transformation, and deposition of reactive nitrogen compounds in Portugal. During the FONDA project, skills were developed in key areas to address this challenge: air quality and atmospheric deposition modeling, use of satellite data, ammonia monitoring, assessment of emission inventories, and adaptation of methodologies to Mediterranean conditions. These competencies are particularly important because Portugal still has significant gaps in ammonia monitoring and in the detailed characterization of agricultural emissions.
The European Environment Agency’s report shows that meeting emission targets is not just an administrative matter. It requires robust data, reliable models, technical capacity, and coordination between science, public policy, and economic sectors. In the case of ammonia, this means better understanding where, when, and how emissions occur; improving national inventories; developing monitoring networks; using satellite data as a complement; and evaluating mitigation measures that are environmentally effective yet also viable for the agricultural sector.
FONDA has made significant strides in this direction. The University of Aveiro has strengthened its capacity to apply advanced atmospheric models, interpret Earth observation data, and produce scientific information to support national and European decision-making. This capacity building is one of the project’s main legacies and is also reflected in concrete results: more than 10 scientific papers published or in preparation, and over 50 young researchers trained in this field through Summer Schools organized within the scope of the project. Additionally, FONDA enabled the creation of a network with reference institutions in the fields of atmospheric modeling, Earth observation, and nitrogen deposition. At the national level, the workshop with stakeholders brought together researchers, authorities, decision-makers, and entities linked to the agricultural and environmental sectors. This network now puts us in a stronger position to meet the challenge of continuing research in this area and transforming scientific knowledge into effective support for decision-making.
The formal end of FONDA, on June 30th, does not represent an end point. A new European project has just been approved, in which the University of Aveiro will be part of a large international consortium, under the co-coordination of one of the FONDA partners. May this be the first brick in a great house of scientific knowledge on ammonia, nitrogen deposition, air quality, and ecosystem protection.
News by Alexandra Monteiro, researcher at CESAM/DAO, Coordinator of the FONDA project and Research Cluster 3 – Oceanic and Atmospheric Modeling, in UA Online – July 14, 2026.