Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK found guilty of dirty air breach by EU court

UK found guilty of dirty air breach by EU court

The UK has been found guilty by the European Court of Justice of “systematically and persistently” breaching air pollution limits.

The court ruled that, since the 2010, the UK had failed to tackle the problem of toxic NO2 gas emissions in the shortest possible time.

The EU court has continued to oversee the case because proceedings started before Brexit.

The government believes the judgement is unfair and is mulling its next move.

The UK has been ordered to pay costs to the European Commission; the amount could run to millions of pounds.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is emitted by gas heating boilers and cars, and the main hotspots are next to busy city streets.

That’s why the government has told 61 councils to clean up pollution on a local level.

Ministers admitted to the court that pollution limits had been breached, but they argued that other nations had broken limits too – indeed the UK was backed by Germany in this case.

The government laid part of the blame on the emissions test scandal, in which car makers cheated measurements of NO2 produced by their vehicles.

The court news comes soon after a coroner confirmed that the UK’s illegal levels of air pollution contributed to the death of nine-year-old Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah in south London.

Today’s ruling relates to failures that have also been the subject of successful legal challenges. These have been brought by the campaign group ClientEarth against the UK government in domestic courts since 2011.

A government statement said a UK High Court judge previously found the approach in its 2017 NO2 plan to be sensible, rational and lawful.

Thursday's ruling was at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg

But the EU judges said the UK hadn’t moved fast enough to protect people’s health.

Following today’s ruling, if the UK still fails to comply within a “reasonable” period, the European Commission could issue formal notice requiring the UK to remedy the situation.

If the UK fails again, the Commission could bring the matter before the court a second time.

If that happens, fines may be imposed – although it’s not clear legally whether the UK could be forced to pay, following Brexit.

In any future cases where the government has breached legal limits, the case would be dealt with by a new UK Office for Environmental Protection - although environmental campaigners claim that this watchdog is being weakened before it even becomes law.

The government's latest data shows that NO2 limits are being exceeded in 33 out of 43 air quality assessment zones.

Client Earth spokeswoman Katie Nield said: “The government has said that Brexit is an opportunity to take back control and to develop 'the most ambitious environmental programme of any country on Earth'.

“There is now a clear opportunity to not only establish stronger laws protecting people’s health and the environment.”

The group wants the UK to adopt World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines, which are stronger than EU rules.

A government spokesperson said: “We are considering this judgment from the European Court of Justice. We continue to work at pace to deliver our ambitious NO2 Plan and our 2019 Clean Air Strategy, which was praised by the WHO as ‘an example for the rest of the world to follow’.

“Air pollution at a national level has reduced significantly since 2010, and now we are out of the EU, we are continuing to deliver our £3.8bn air quality plan to tackle nitrogen dioxide exceedances in the shortest possible time.”

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
×