The state of acidifying air pollution in Europe is reviewed, as is the ability and limitation of models to simulate concentrations and depositions. The lack of complete quality in emission data is often a significant problem in these modelling studies. Nevertheless, models, for all their uncertainties, can play an important, if not totally reliable, role in assessing the origins of acidic depositions on any area. Although emissions have changed over the years, generally having decreased over the last decade, the time trend in measured depositions appears to indicate no very simple response to these overall decreases: the unequal changes in different parts of the continent and year-to-year changes in weather preclude such simplicity. The total impact of acid deposition on the environment, which is reviewed, depends not only on the average magnitude but also on the range of magnitudes of the depositions, and in particular on the occurrence of severe episodes. Some discussion of the probability distribution function is given.