Romania Gets EC Warning Over Failure To Meet Air Quality Standards

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"The European Commission today warned eight Member States for their continuing failures to improve air quality. Letters have been sent to Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, France, Hungary, the Slovak Republic, and Romania. The warnings come over excess emissions of tiny airborne particles known as PM 10," the European Commission said in a press release Friday.

Under European legislation, certain limits were to be met by 2005. Numerous Member States applied to extend the time for meeting the PM 10 standard until June 2011, and some extensions were granted to countries clearly striving to improve compliance, the EC said.

"European legislation obliges Member States to introduce limit values for PM 10 by 2005. The limits impose both an annual concentration value (40 μg/m3), and a daily concentration value (50 μg/m3) which must not be exceeded more than 35 times per calendar year," the press release said.

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, France, Hungary and Slovakia had applied for extensions, but the Commission was not convinced by their actions to date. The annual air quality report provided by these Member States for 2008 showed that the limit values are continually exceeded in several zones, and the Commission takes the view that these seven Member States are therefore failing to fulfill their obligations.

Romania was warned that it had to submit a notification before the end of March 2009, but failed to do so. The Commission is therefore sending a first written warning.

"Particulate matter in air pollution has serious impacts on human health, and strict standards are required. These standards have to be enforced to protect citizens around the EU, and I therefore call on these eight Member States to remedy these shortcomings and improve protection for citizens as soon as possible. Human health is top priority. It cannot afford to wait," Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said.

Airborne particles (PM 10) are mainly in pollutant emissions from industry, traffic and domestic heating. They can cause asthma, cardiovascular problems, lung cancer and premature death.