Air pollution in Östersund is again under EU scrutiny, with the municipality being asked to explain how it will secure healthier air in central Östersund after several years of high levels of harmful particulate matter.
The issue centres on measurements taken near Rådhusgatan, where a monitoring station installed in 2020 recorded repeated breaches linked to airborne road dust. Municipal officials say the situation improved in 2025, but the EU now wants a rapid explanation of the town’s long-term strategy rather than a one-year improvement.
Why PM10 pollution in Östersund is still a problem
The pollutant at the centre of the case is PM10, a category of inhalable particles that can aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular disease. In Östersund, the problem has largely been tied to winter sanding, dry spring roads and studded tyres, which grind against asphalt and help lift dust back into the air.
Östersund municipality says it had met air quality standards for outdoor air until 2020. After a new instrument was installed on Rådhusgatan that year, however, measurements showed that PM10 levels exceeded the applicable environmental quality standards under Swedish rules and European legislation.
Better 2025 readings did not end the EU’s concerns
According to SVT and municipal data, 2025 brought a clear improvement. The number of days with excessively high PM10 concentrations at the measuring stations on Rådhusgatan and Färjemansleden fell to 20 in 2025, down from 48 in 2024.
That improvement matters, but it does not automatically close the case. Local reporting says the lower values must be sustained for three consecutive years before the municipality can be considered compliant over time. This helps explain why the EU is still seeking an answer from Östersund despite the better results recorded last year.
Street washing and dust control are central to Östersund’s response
Municipal officials say the improvement was linked to practical measures rather than chance. Magnus Rönnerfjäll, chair of the municipal technical committee, told SVT that Östersund has used dust binding and more intensive street washing to keep particles from spreading after winter.
That approach is consistent with the municipality’s wider air-quality work. Material published by Swedish and local authorities has described PM10 in Östersund as a road-traffic and road-management problem, with anti-slip sanding, spring dust and heavy use of studded tyres all playing a role. The municipality has also expanded monitoring with an additional station at Färjemansleden.
Stricter EU air quality rules are raising pressure on cities
The Östersund case comes as the EU is tightening its broader clean-air framework. The revised Ambient Air Quality Directive entered into force in December 2024, lowering allowable levels for a range of pollutants and pushing member states toward tougher standards by 2030.
Under the revised rules, national and local authorities are expected not only to monitor pollutants more closely but also to show how they will prevent and address breaches. That means municipalities such as Östersund face pressure to demonstrate that cleaner readings are the result of durable policy measures, not just favourable weather or temporary traffic conditions.
Studded tyres remain the political fault line in Sweden
Rönnerfjäll said the debate should not get stuck on closing streets to vehicles with studded tyres. That reflects a wider Swedish and Nordic policy dilemma: studded tyres improve safety on icy roads, but they also contribute to dangerous particle pollution when streets dry out in spring.
Östersund’s own earlier planning material has described the issue as politically sensitive, especially in a car-dependent town where winter driving conditions are a major public concern. The local strategy has therefore focused more on mitigation, such as sweeping, dust suppression and changes in sanding practices, than on outright restrictions.
What happens next for Östersund and similar Nordic towns
For now, the EU request appears to be a demand for clarification rather than an immediate sanction. Still, it is a warning that one better year will not be enough if a municipality has a longer record of elevated harmful air particles.
The next question is whether Östersund can prove that the 2025 improvement marks a lasting shift. For Sweden and other Nordic countries, the case is also a reminder of a broader challenge: balancing winter road safety, car-dependent urban life and the EU’s increasingly strict public-health standards on air quality.
