Controversial plans to improve Europe's air quality have been diluted by the European Commission following protests from industry, reducing projected annual compliance costs from €12bn to €7.1bn.

The proposal, expected to be approved by the EU executive today, aims to reduce the number of premature deaths caused by pollution in the EU from 370,000 a year to 225,000 by 2020. It would introduce tougher controls on particulate matter, or fine dust, which accounts for most premature deaths. But it would introduce less stringent emission ceilings for air pollutants such as nitrogen oxide, sulphur dioxide and ammonia than had been envisaged before the summer.