On Friday 21 November, the European Commission decided to refer Poland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to maintain nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) levels below the limit values set under the Ambient Air Quality Directive (Directive 2008/50/EC).
The Member State is also criticised for failing to put in place measures to sufficiently shorten this period of exceedance, despite the fact that NO₂ levels have exceeded the limit values for fifteen and fourteen consecutive years respectively in the conurbations of Kraków and Upper Silesia.
Poland received a letter of formal notice in February 2016, followed by a reasoned opinion in February 2021.
To date, the air quality plans forecast that these two zones could once more become compliant in 2026, sixteen years after the limit values came into force. These results are considered to be uncertain by the European Commission.
The latter deplores the late introduction into Polish law (at the end of 2024) of low-emission zones (LEZs) in these conurbations. The Krakow LEZ is due to be implemented on 1 January 2026, while the Upper Silesia LEZ is not yet scheduled. (Original version in French by Florent Servia)