Commission takes legal action against high PM10 levels in Spain and Greece

The Commission recently issued two new reasoned opinions against Greece and Spain for failing to protect citizens from air pollution. Under the Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC), member states must protect citizens from a number of air pollutants including PM₁₀. Greece and Spain have failed to comply with these limits for a long time.

In the case of Spain, citizens in the agglomerations: “Zonas Rurales” of Andalucía, Central Asturias, Gijón, Barcelona, and Vallès-Baix Llobregat have been more or less continuously exposed to unhealthy levels of PM₁₀ between 2005 and at least 2012.

In Greece, citizens in Thessaloniki have also been exposed to exceeded limits for PM₁₀ since at least 2005.

The Commission has thus issued two “reasoned opinions” for the non-compliance since 2005, giving Spain and Greece two months to take effective measures to bring down the pollution and keep the period of non-compliance as short as possible. If the countries fail to act appropriately, the Commission may refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union where they may face a hefty fine.

Source: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-589_en.htm

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Main menu

Commission takes legal action against high PM10 levels in Spain and Greece

In this issue

Low in ambition, late in timing

Editorial: Ammonia emissions are cheap to reduce

Air pollution cuts India’s crop yields by almost half

UN warns against exceeding “Emissions Budget”

Wind energy – so much potential

Methane and black carbon cuts won’t buy us time

Many loopholes in testing system

IPCC warns that delaying action implies higher costs

China: 670,000 smog-related deaths a year

Ocean acidification record-high

Biogas from manure

Air quality targets much cheaper than expected

Action needed to cut emissions from domestic solid-fuel burning

Leave fossil gas in the ground

PM pollution requires EU-wide action

447,000 premature deaths/year in EU due to bad air quality

Publications

Food for Thought

Northern forests, climate change and the UNFCCC

EU climate targets aligned with the Paris agreement’s 1.5°C objective

Baltic Sea Offshore Wind Collaborative-Learning project

Air pollution in Europe and children’s health

Climate Change: A Himalayan Odessey

No further discussion needed. The agreed global goal is to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C

Fossil-free electricity 2021

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