Air pollution legal action decision due in mid-March
The European Commission will decide next month whether to launch legal action against nine member states that are accused of breaking air pollution limits, after additional information was submitted at the eleventh hour.
On 31 January, EU Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella said the “time for delaying” was over after meeting with ministers from the nine countries and asking some tough questions about their illegal air pollution levels.
Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia were all granted an extra ten days to provide extra evidence why legal action should not be the Commission’s recourse.
A spokesperson for the EU executive confirmed to EURACTIV.com on Tuesday (13 February) that all nine countries had “submitted additional information” before the deadline last Friday and it is now being evaluated by officials at the Commission’s environment directorate.
The spokesperson declined to comment on individual cases but indicated that a decision will be made “in mid-March” on whether to launch full-blown infringement procedures against one or more of the member states.
