Italy has “persistently and systematically” breached EU rules against small-particle air pollution, the European Court of Justice found Tuesday 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 in a statement.
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.
PM10 refers to the size of particulate matter in the air, with the number indicating how many microns, or tiny units of measurement with one micron equalling 1000th of a millimetre in diameter.
The World Health Organization says air pollution of particles smaller than 10 microns can lodge in the lungs, and those smaller than 2.5 microns cause heightened mortality due to cardiovascular and respiratory disease and cancers.
© 2020 AFP
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Italy’s pollution ‘persistently’ breaks EU law: court (2020, November 10)
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