The European Commission decided on Thursday 3 December to refer Greece and Bulgaria to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for failing to meet their air quality obligations.
Greece
In the case of Greece, the Commission reports that the country has exceeded the daily limit values set by EU legislation (Directive 2008/50) for concentrations of particulate matter (PM10) in the air, even though these limits have been legally binding since 2005.
The data provided by Greece confirms systematic exceedances in the Thessaloniki agglomeration from 2005 to 2019 (all years except 2013), the institution says, but describes Greek authorities’ efforts as unsatisfactory and insufficient.
Bulgaria
In the case of Bulgaria, the Commission criticises it for continuing to exceed these limits, despite a ruling by the CJEU already concluding on 5 April 2017 that Bulgaria had failed to fulfil its obligations.
“Data provided by Bulgaria, covering the years 2015 to 2019, confirms that the systemic and continuous breach established by the Court persists”, the Commission underlines, while recalling that the country is among the worst air quality performers in the EU (see EUROPE 12133/28).
As this is a referral to the Court following non-compliance with one of its judgments, Bulgaria could be subject to sanctions for the time elapsed after the first judgment until compliance. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)