EU may fine 9 countries for pollution

NINE European countries, including the UK, could face legal action if they fail to make progress on reducing air pollution, the EU’s top environment official has warned.

The intervention came as legal air pollution limits for the whole year were reached within a month in London.

Levels of pollutant nitrogen dioxide in Brixton Rd, Lambeth has exceeded average hourly limits 18 times so far this year, the maximum allowed under European Union air quality rules.

Inaction by national governments over the issue has prompted the European Commission’s environment commissioner, Karmenu Vella, to warn of legal action after talks with ministers from nine EU countries including Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Italy – all of which regularly flout the bloc’s air quality standards.

“Every year, an astonishing number of citizens’ lives are cut short because of air pollution,” Mr Vella said.

“We have known this for decades, and the air quality limit values have been in place for almost as long. And yet still today, in 2018, 400,000 people are still dying prematurely every year because of a massive, widespread failure to address the problem.

“The deadlines for meeting the legal obligations have long elapsed ... we can delay no more.”

It took longer to reach the limit this year than last, when the limit was breached less than a week into the new year. This year’s “success” may just be the result of weather.