EC Takes Bulgaria to Court Over Air Pollution

The European Commission is taking decided to refer Bulgaria, Lithuania, Portugal and Sweden to the Court of Justice of the European Union for not respecting their emission reduction commitments for several air pollutants as required by the Directive on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants (Directive (EU) 2016/2284), known as ‘the NEC Directive'.

Bulgaria, Portugal and Sweden have failed to meet the emission reduction commitment for ammonia (NH3), and Lithuania for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC).

The NEC Directive sets national emission reduction commitments for several air pollutants, to be attained by every Member State each year between 2020 and 2029, and more ambitious reductions from 2030 onwards. Member States are also required to establish and update National Air Pollution Control Programmes (NAPCPs) to show how these reduction commitments will be met.

The Directive sets national reduction commitments for several pollutants that each Member State must meet each year from 2020 to 2029. Member States are also required to establish and update national air pollution control programmes to show how these reduction commitments will be met.

The Commission considers that the four countries have not met their emission reduction commitments and decided therefore to refer them to Court of Justice of the European Union.

The Commission recalls that air pollution costs human health and economic activities between an estimated EUR 330 to EUR 940 billion per year in the EU, including lost workdays, healthcare costs, crop yield loss and damage to buildings, whereas all the measures in the EU to improve air quality have an estimated combined cost of EUR 70 to EUR 80 billion per year.

The NEC Directive contributes to reaching the 2030 air pollution objectives of the zero-pollution action plan. It targets five air pollutants responsible for significant negative impacts on human health and the environment, namely: sulphur dioxide (SO2); nitrogen oxides (NOx); non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC); ammonia (NH3); and fine particulate matter (PM2.5)