{"id":91885,"date":"2018-05-15T10:00:29","date_gmt":"2018-05-15T08:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/eeb.org\/?p=91885"},"modified":"2018-10-29T11:10:14","modified_gmt":"2018-10-29T10:10:14","slug":"national-air-pollution-plans-too-little-too-late-to-avoid-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eeb.org\/fr\/national-air-pollution-plans-too-little-too-late-to-avoid-court\/","title":{"rendered":"National air pollution plans ‘too little\u00a0too late’ to avoid\u00a0court"},"content":{"rendered":"

France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and four other countries should this week expect to be sent to Europe\u2019s top court for their failure to tackle toxic air pollution. Documents obtained by the EEB reveal that government proposals lack the \u201ccredible, timely and effective<\/em>\u201d measures demanded by the European Commission.<\/h4>\n

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) is Europe\u2019s largest network of environmental citizens\u2019 organisations with around 140 organisations in more than 30 countries.<\/em><\/p>\n

This Q&A provides some essential background ahead of this week’s announcement.<\/p>\n

Where can I see government proposals?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The EEB, together with our member groups in a number of countries, submitted access to information requests to get hold of the letters<\/a> and other documents ministers sent following a meeting of Environment Ministers in January<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Proposals from the German and French governments were already publicly available and the Italian, Slovak and Hungarian governments shared the information requested.<\/p>\n

View documents here<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

However, the governments of Spain, the UK, Romania, the Czech Republic, and the European Commission, all refused to share the relevant documents.<\/p>\n

The UK government even argued there was a \u201cstrong public interest\u201d to withhold the information <\/a>to increase the chance of defeating the Commission\u2019s case.<\/p>\n

EEB Air Policy Officer Margherita Tolotto<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n

\u201cGovernments have been promising to tackle toxic air pollution for decades and patience has run out.\u00a0Unfortunately for people all over Europe, none of the documents we’ve seen contain the\u00a0‘credible, timely and effective measures’ the Commission has demanded. They’re all too little, too late. The lack of transparency\u00a0and the lack of effective proposals is unacceptable.\u00a0All nine governments should now be sent to court to be held accountable for their failure.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

What’s the background?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In February 2017 five Member States were given final warnings<\/a> for persistently breaching EU air quality limits. In January this year, ministers from nine countries were summoned to Brussels<\/a> to explain their failure to act. They were given an ultimatum: either write to the Commission detailing \u201ccredible, timely and effective measures<\/em>\u201d for improving air quality, or face being sent to court<\/a>.[1]<\/p>\n

What does the EEB think of the published proposals?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

We have prepared an assessment of the available proposals<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Based on the publicly available information, none of the countries facing infringement proceedings have demonstrated that credible, timely and effective<\/em> measures have been taken<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Air quality infringements continue to occur in all nine\u00a0countries.<\/p>\n

The European Commission should therefore send all nine governments to the ECJ.<\/p>\n

What type of air pollution do these cases concern?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

NO2<\/strong>:\u00a0 Germany, Spain, Romania, UK
\nPM10<\/strong>: Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia
\nNO2 & PM10<\/strong>: France, Italy<\/p>\n

What causes this pollution?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

PM10\u00a0<\/strong>pollution can come into the air from various sources including motor vehicles, burning substances to heat homes, burning coal for energy, construction sites, agriculture and industry.<\/p>\n

In Eastern Europe, the burning of various fuels to heat homes is responsible for much of the particulate matter in towns and cities, but large-scale industry, industrial agriculture and coal-fired power plants provide a baseload of air pollution across Europe.<\/p>\n

NO2\u00a0<\/strong>pollution is especially linked to dirty diesel cars but is also emitted in large quantities by industry and coal-fired power stations.<\/p>\n

What are its effects?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The\u00a0World Health Organisation<\/a>\u00a0provides the following summaries:<\/p>\n

PM10<\/strong>:\u00a0\u201cThere is a close, quantitative relationship between exposure to high concentrations of small particulates (PM10 and PM2.5) and increased mortality or morbidity, both daily and over time. Conversely, when concentrations of small and fine particulates are reduced, related mortality will also go down \u2013 presuming other factors remain the same. This allows policymakers to project the population health improvements that could be expected if particulate air pollution is reduced.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

NO2<\/strong>:\u00a0Epidemiological studies have shown that symptoms of bronchitis in asthmatic children increase in association with long-term exposure to NO2. Reduced lung function growth is also linked to NO2 at concentrations currently measured (or observed) in cities of Europe and North America.<\/em><\/p>\n

What should governments do to improve their air?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Serious action is required to reduce the environmental impact of\u00a0energy, food and transport<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Energy systems need to be based on\u00a0clean, renewable energy<\/strong>\u00a0that can deliver commitments made under the Paris climate agreement.\u00a0Reducing wasted energy<\/strong>\u00a0through improved efficiency and better designed products will also be essential.\u00a0Higher EU targets are required<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Europe must move beyond coal before 2030<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

We also need a\u00a0sustainable food system<\/strong>\u00a0with steps taken to reduce emissions at all stages from production to consumption. A\u00a0reformed common agricultural policy<\/strong>\u00a0must work in harmony with nature, not against it.<\/p>\n

Emissions from transport must be addressed, cutting subsidies for\u00a0diesel cars\u00a0<\/strong>and taking the most polluting vehicles off of our streets. Effort must be made to encourage a move to\u00a0zero-emissions transport\u00a0<\/strong>and to develop\u00a0improved infrastructure<\/strong>\u00a0that\u2019s fit for the 21st century.<\/p>\n

Where can I find more information about the air quality infringement story? \u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The EEB has been following these cases for years. This chronological list of press releases tracks the story over the past 15 months:<\/p>\n

EEB welcomes European Commission action on illegal air<\/a>, 15 February 2017
\nThe EEB welcomes the announcement that the European Commission will pursue infringement proceedings against France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK for having failed to protect their citizens\u2019 health against dangerous levels of air pollution.<\/p>\n

Air quality ruling it tip of the iceberg<\/a>, 5 April 2017
\nThe EEB welcomes the ECJ judgement on Bulgaria\u2019s illegal air. The ruling sends a warning signal to at least 18 other countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, that are failing to ensure their citizens breathe clean and healthy air.<\/p>\n

National inaction and Commission delays undermining EU air quality protections<\/a>, 7 December 2017
\nMore than ten months after calling out five Member States for their failure to tackle air pollution, the European Commission has missed another opportunity to hold national governments accountable.<\/p>\n

\u2018Toxic bloc\u2019 summit welcome, but no substitute for legal action<\/a>, 19 January 2018
\nEnvironment ministers from nine EU Member States are being hauled to Brussels to answer questions about their failure to cut air pollution. European Commissioner Vella will meet ministers from the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and the United Kingdom at a special mini-summit next week.<\/p>\n

MEDIA BRIEFING: EU \u2018toxic bloc\u2019 air pollution summit<\/a>, 26 January 2018
\nQ&A on background to air infringement cases.<\/p>\n

European Commission tells air pollution ministers: inaction has consequences<\/a>, 30 January 2018
\nEnvironment ministers from the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and the United Kingdom today failed to convince European Commissioner Vella that they had \u201csubstantial enough\u201d proposals to cut air pollution.<\/p>\n

Polish air quality ruling is warning to \u2018toxic bloc\u2019 governments<\/a>, 22 February 2018
\nThe European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled against Poland for persistently breaching EU air quality limits and failing to act quickly enough to improve the situation. The ruling sends a strong message to nine other Member States that have been issued final warnings by the European Commission.<\/p>\n

Delays and secrecy surround governments\u2019 plans to tackle air pollution<\/a>, 28 March 2018
\nGovernment plans to tackle Europe\u2019s air quality crisis are either being deliberately kept secret or are \u2018completely inadequate\u2019, air quality campaigners have concluded after a series of access to information requests.<\/p>\n

Notes:\u00a0<\/strong>
\n[1] EU studying if members doing enough to avoid penalties over air pollution<\/a>, Reuters, 13 February 2018.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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