Promises are good but written commitments are better. The European Commission has given the nine countries called to the mini ministerial summit in Brussels on Tuesday 30 January until the end of next week to submit to it in writing their action plans that are, finally, to ensure compliance with European air quality standards.
The nine (Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and United Kingdom), which have all been sent reasoned opinions as a result of their persistent breaches of the European directive on air quality (2008/50/EC), were called to a meeting in a final attempt by the Commission to persuade them to make improvements or face being referred to the European Court of Justice (see EUROPE 11949 and 11943).
The nine countries have persistently exceeded nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter (PM10) limits which had to be met by 2010 and 2005 respectively.
The ministers all set out, as they had been asked, the national measures taken over recent months to try to bring about compliance with the directive. This is an issue of no mean importance: air pollution is responsible for more than 400,000 premature deaths in the EU every year, European Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella reminded them.
Their measures would seem to have failed to persuade the commissioner. He is by no means certain that all the countries concerned will be able to avoid an appearance at the European Court of Justice once the Commission has assessed the action plans that will be submitted to it.
In the meantime, as early as Wednesday 31 January, Commissioner Vella will update the College of Commissioners on the outcome of this last-chance mini summit.
“In our exchange, there were some positive suggestions. But at first sight, these were not substantial enough to change the big picture. Without new and effective measures, in many cases, air quality standards will further continue to be exceeded for months and years, even well beyond 2020. I urge all member states to address this life-threatening problem with the urgency it deserves”, Vella told the press after the ministerial meeting.
“Inaction has consequences. It has consequences for citizens and the polluted air they breathe. Member states have responsibilities. Responsibilities to act. Inaction also has legal consequences for the member states in question”, he warned. And it was that that he reminded the member states of, arguing that it was incumbent upon them to make protecting citizens from air pollution a priority.
The message was received loud and clear with regard to the concerns expressed by the commissioner for the health of EU citizens.
“A necessary reminder was delivered to us. I’m always happy when the Commission takes the view that, on health and the environment, we can never do too much. I made it clear that France had not been sitting on its hands since I took office though action was being taken before then”, French Minister of Ecology and Solidarity Transition Nicolas Hulot told the press.
Pointing out the multi-sectoral causes of air pollution – “a systemic problem” in France – he stated that the levels of fine particle emissions were beginning to improve, though 11 areas exceeded NO2 standards in 2017 (compared with 17 in 2016). A national plan for reducing air polluting emissions PREPA), that was brought forward in May 2017, has been supplemented by a number of provisions in July’s climate plan. Hulot said he had “asked the Commission to help us by tightening standards for lorries”.
Italian Environment Minister Gian Luca Galletti highlighted his country’s “strong strategy” on limiting emissions from agriculture and on energy policy, and he drew attention to the latest measure, a decree in December 2017 on certification of biomass installations. “I can show that our efforts are on the right track but there are climatic factors which I cannot influence”, he added. He pointed out that 19 member states are in breach of the directive.
The latest report by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) based on 2016 air quality data, indeed, shows that 19 EU countries exceeded the annual limit value for nitrogen dioxide. Seven countries exceeded the annual limit value for fine particles (PM10, PM2.5 or both, as is the case with Italy, Poland and Croatia). Fourteen countries exceeded the daily limit value for PM10 more than 35 times per year, the maximum allowed by the directive. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)