The European Commission has today decided to bring France to the Court of Justice of the European Union regarding poor air quality due to high levels of particulate matter (PM10).
When the limit values set by the EU’s ambient air quality legislation in Directive 2008/50/EC are exceeded, Member States are required to adopt plans relating to air quality and to ensure that these plans include appropriate measures to keep the duration of the exceedance period as short as possible. In the case of France, the country has not respected the daily limit values applicable to PM10 particles which have been legally binding since 2005.
Data provided by France confirms the systematic failure to meet EU rules on PM10 limit values in the zones of Paris and Martinique for twelve and fourteen years respectively. Therefore, the Commission is referring France to the Court of Justice of the EU.
Today’s decision is the second referral of France to the Court regarding non-compliance with EU air quality standards. In its judgment of 24 October 2019, the Court found that the country did not comply with the limit values applicable to the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in 12 air quality zones (Commission against France, C-636/18).
The European Green Deal adopted by the Commission in December 2019 puts emphasis on cutting air pollution, which is among the key factors affecting human health. Reducing air pollution will be also central in the upcoming Zero Pollution initiative. Full implementation of the air quality standards enshrined in EU legislation is key to effectively protect human health and safeguard the natural environment.
Background
Based on the principle of subsidiarity, EU legislation on ambient air leaves to the Member States the choice of instruments to comply with the limit values set by the EU legislation. Despite the obligation on Member States to ensure good air quality for their citizens, air pollution remains a problem in many places, with the situation being particularly serious in urban areas. Air pollution remains the number one environmental health problem in the EU. According to estimates of the European Environment Agency, around 400,000 premature deaths can be attributed to air pollution each year in Europe. This type of pollution is the cause of serious illnesses such as asthma, cardiovascular problems and lung cancer. Particulate matter (PM10) is mainly present in emissions from industry, traffic and home heating, but is also produced by emissions from agriculture.
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