Press Release: Environment: a fresh legal approach to improving air quality in Member States

Ambient air quality is poor in many EU Member States – despite an obligation for governments to ensure good air quality for citizens. The situation is so serious that the Commission is taking action against 17 States with a consistent record of poor air quality.

On 24 January 2013, as part of a fresh approach to the problem, Bulgaria, Latvia and Slovenia are being asked to urgently address an on-going issue that kills more citizens than road traffic accidents every year.

The problem concerns tiny particles known as PM10s, which can cause respiratory problems, lung cancer and premature death. Poor air quality is a direct threat to citizens exposed to pollution from fine particles (PM10), which originates from sources such as road traffic, industrial activity and domestic heating.

This action – technically additional letters of formal notice – against Bulgaria, Latvia and Slovenia is in line with similar steps taken against Belgium in November 2012, and with forthcoming legal action against all other Member States that suffer from persistently high levels of PM10 particles in ambient air.