ECJ said it was “irrelevant” whether the breaches were by intent, neglect or attributable to technical or structural difficulties. Photo: Flickr.com / Evan Bench CC BY

France found guilty of breaching NO2 limits

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that France “systematically and persistently” breached EU limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) across 12 urban areas, including Paris, Marseille, Strasbourg, Nice and Toulouse. The limits should have been met in 2010.

The ECJ referred to article 23 of the Air Quality Directive, which states that measures must be taken to ensure that the exceedance time is kept “as short as possible”. It also said that it was “irrelevant” whether the breaches were by intent, neglect or attributable to technical or structural difficulties.

The ruling was a clear win for the Commission, which took the case to the ECJ as the final step of its infringement process. It also sets the tone for a spate of other dirty air cases against member states that include Germany, UK, Italy and more recently Spain and Bulgaria, which are still pending a decision.

Source: Ends Europe Daily, 24 October 2019
ECJ press release: https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2019-10/cp19013...

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Main menu

France found guilty of breaching NO2 limits

In this issue

The ten best climate measures

Editorial: The fossil fuel industry must be shut down

The Dutch nitrogen crisis

European transboundary air pollution is slowly shrinking

Global solar PV market set for dramatic growth over next 5 years

LNG no solution for truck emissions

Post-Euro 6 car emissions standards

The Cry of the Cryosphere

Modelling a shift to sustainable diets

Money quarrels delay a CAP with diluted climate ambition

Climate change threat to European farming

Deforestation must decrease by 95 per cent in a 1.5 °C world

Cutting air pollution will save lives

EU climate policies reviewed

40 years of partnership for clean air

World Energy Outlook faces increasing criticism

In Breif

EU Commission promotes air pollution benefits of climate policy

Stop EU fossil tax subsidies to shipping

Malaysia bans open-loop ship scrubbers

London’s ULEZ cuts NO2

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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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