EU court backs legal action against Italy

Italy has “persistently and systematically” breached EU rules against smallparticle air pollution, the European Court of Justice found yesterday in a ruling supporting legal action by Brussels against Rome. “Daily and annual limit values for PM10 particulate matter were very regularly exceeded” in zones highlighted by the European Commission in an infringement procedure launched two years ago, the court said. Further,

“the Italian Republic has manifestly failed to adopt in good time the measures” required under the EU’s Air Quality Directive, which aims to reduce unhealthy pollution in Europe’s air.