European Context
The life quality of about 97% of European citizens which are living in urban areas is directly influenced by the urban environment state, these ones being exposed at pollution levels which exceed the qualitative objectives established for the EU. The high quality of the urban environment contributes at achieving the priority established through the new Strategy from Lisbon, namely: "to make Europe a place more attractive to work and to invest". The attractiveness of the European cities will raise their potential for development and create new jobs and, from this reason, cities represent a key importance for the implementation of the Lisbon Agenda.
The 6th Environmental Action Programme, "Environment 2010: Our future, our choice", includes the Environment & Health as being one of the fourth priority action sectors, for which supplementary efforts are needed. The air pollution is one of priority problems, the objective being "to achieve that level for air quality which does not generate an impact and unacceptable risks for the people health and for environment". The same Programme have lead to the development of a Thematic Strategy regarding the urban environment, having as objective "improving life quality through an integrated approach focused on urban areas", as well as achieving "a high level of life quality and of social standard of the citizens by ensuring an environment in which the pollution level do not generate injurious effects concerning human health and environment, as well as by stimulating urban sustainable development".
The Thematic Strategy for Urban Environment is supporting the implementation of the 6th Environmental Action Programme, and has four priority themes: sustainable urban management, sustainable urban transport, sustainable built environment and sustainable urban planning.
In June 2003 The European Commission has launched the Strategy regarding Environment & Health, document which propose an integrated approach including a close co-operation between the relevant sectors as health, environment and research. Thus the added value consists on development of a System at the Community level which integrates information regarding the environment state, ecosystem and human health. The effects of the environment state on the vulnerable groups represent an aspect on which is granted particular attention. The Strategy grants a special attention to children because of the exposure and vulnerability on these are much bigger then for adults. Thus, the present challenge consists on applying the commitments taken regarding the children rights to grow in a healthy environment, underlined not only within the Strategy, but also within the Convention of the Children Rights and in The World Summit for Sustainable Development.