Most EU Governments failed to deliver air pollution plans by April deadline
EU officials have revealed they are still waiting to hear back from EU governments about the national air pollution deadline.
EU officials have revealed they are still waiting to hear back from EU governments about the national air pollution deadline.
The EU is still waiting to hear back from 16 out of the 28 EU Member states. According to the law, governments had until April 1 to deliver their detailed air pollution reduction programme to the European Commission.
Governments who failed to deliver their plans include; France, Spain, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland and Slovenia.
These air pollution programmes are a requirement of the National Emissions Ceilings (NEC) Directive, which sets reduction targets for harmful pollutions per country.
The programme should have detailed how each country plans to reduce their emissions, in areas such as industry, agriculture and transport.
Margherita Tolotto, Clean Air Policy Officer at the EEB said: “It is shocking that more than half of EU governments have failed to meet a deadline for something this important. Every day of delay in cutting air pollution means more people suffering the consequences for their health.
The UK is one of the 12 EU Member States that have submitted their air pollution programme. In their report, they detail the Road to Zero Strategy, which sets out a plan to significantly increase the UK’s vehicle charging infrastructure for the transition to zero carbon mobility.
They also state what they have done previously to reduce emissions. The report highlights than emissions in 2016 were 48 per cent lower than in the 2005 base year for Nitrogen Oxide.
Margherita Tolotto added: “With just weeks to go until the European elections we are reminded why EU oversight is so important. Even on an issue as important as air pollution – where there is broad public support for action – national governments are failing to deliver. We need the EU to hold them to account.”