Press Release: Commission decisions object to vast majority of Member State requests for more time to comply with EU air quality legislation

The European Commission on 11 december 2009 adopted three decisions concerning requests from Bulgaria, Poland and the United Kingdom for additional time to comply with EU legislation on air quality. The decisions relate to requests for temporary exemptions in 97 zones or agglomerations from the EU's air quality standards for dangerous airborne particles known as PM 10. The decision addressed to Poland also concerned a request for a temporary postponement of the deadline to meet the Nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) limit values in one zone. The Commission decisions approved time extensions for PM 10 in five air quality zones in Poland but objected to all other requests. Some 17 decisions have already been adopted in 2009. The vast majority of air quality zones in the EU did not satisfy the conditions for a time extension, or were already found to be in compliance with the limit values.

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