Carrying out its threat, the European Commission decided on Thursday 17 May to refer six member states – France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania and the United Kingdom – to the European Court of Justice for persistently exceeding the limits set by the European air quality directive and for failing to take appropriate measures to keep exceedance periods as short as possible.
The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Spain had also been in the Commission’s sights but they have been spared for the moment after submitting measures, the Commission says, adequate to redress the situation but a close eye will be kept to see if the measures are properly implemented, said Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella (see other article).
France, Germany and the United Kingdom have been referred to the Court for exceeding annual nitrogen dioxide limits reported in 2016 in several air quality zones (26 in Germany, including Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and Cologne, 12 in France, including Paris, Marseilles and Lyons, and 16 in the United Kingdom, including London, Leeds, Birmingham and Glasgow).
The annual limit not to be exceeded is 40 micrograms/m3. Concentrations were as high as 82 micrograms/m3 in Stuttgart, 96 micrograms/m3 in Paris and 103 micrograms/m3 in London.
Italy, Hungary and Romania will find themselves in court for persistently exceeding daily particulate matter (PM10) limits (in 28 air quality zones in Italy on up to 89 days in 2016, 3 areas in Hungary on up to 78 days and in the Bucharest agglomeration ever since the EU law became applicable in Romania and on 38 days in 2016).
In a joint press release on the same day from the ministers responsible, the French government expressed its “determination to speed up measures to improve air quality” and the ministers, Nicolas Hulot and Élisabeth Borne, announced that they will “bring forward new measures in June to be included in the framework act on mobility”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)