Air pollution: France sent back to the European Union again

France will be referred to the EU Court of Justice because of fine particle pollution.

© PHILIPPE HUGUEN / AFP

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France, already condemned by European justice for air pollution linked to nitrogen dioxide (NO2), will be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union for that due to fine particles PM10, announced Friday October 30 the European Commission.

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Brussels accuses France of "

 systematic non-compliance 

" with European rules on pollution by fine particles PM10, the thresholds of which were exceeded "

 in the areas of Paris and Martinique over a period of, respectively, 12 and 14 years 

”and“

 non-compliance with its obligation to protect citizens against poor air quality 

”, according to a press release.

48,000 and 76,000 deaths per year linked to air pollution

We were aware of this risk, in view of the overruns observed over long periods 

", reacted the Ministry of Ecological Transition, ensuring " 

do everything to improve air quality

 " and go back below the limits in the areas concerned. .

This dismissal is "

 very good news

 ", reacted Olivier Blond, president of the association Respire.

 It shows that the European Union takes air pollution seriously, much more than the current government and previous ones.

 "

Air pollution is " 

a major health crisis 

", causing "

 between 48,000 and 76,000 deaths per year 

" in France according to estimates, he recalled, deploring "

 double standards 

" in relation to the fight against smoking or Covid-19.

Long-term exposure to air pollution also increases the risk of dying from Covid-19, according to an international study released this week.

Record penalty

The European executive

had already referred France

to justice in 2018 for failing to comply with the limit values ​​for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a polluting gas mainly produced by diesel engines.

The European justice had recognized a year later the “

systematic 

exceeding 

of this threshold, opening the way, in a second phase, to possible sanctions.

PM10 fine particles are mainly present in emissions from industry, automobile traffic and home heating, but they are also found in emissions from the agricultural sector.

In Île-de-France, " 

there is a gradual improvement 

" concerning fine particles PM10, with "

 occasional exceedances

 ", indicates Airparif, responsible for monitoring air quality.

But if we base ourselves on the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), much more restrictive than the European standards, " 

three quarters of the population of Ile-de-France remain exposed to overruns 

".

At the beginning of July, the Council of State condemned the French government to

a historic penalty of 10 million euros

per six-month delay if it did not tighten its system against air pollution in eight large agglomerations (Lyon, Marseille -Aix, Reims, Grenoble, Strasbourg and Toulouse, Fort-de-France, Paris).

(With AFP)

►Also read: How to fight air pollution in French cities?

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