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ECJ Rules that Poland Failed to Fulfil Obligations under Ambient Air Directive

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 June 2018

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Type
Case Commentaries
Information
European Journal of Risk Regulation , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , June 2018 , pp. 372 - 379
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 

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Footnotes

*

PhD Candidate, University of Liverpool, kirsten.ward@liverpool.ac.uk.

References

1 Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (OJ 2008 L 152, p 1). The Commission is currently undertaking a fitness check of the Directive. For further details, see <ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/initiatives/ares-2017-3763998_en> accessed 5 April 2018.

2 OECD, The Cost of Air Pollution: Health Impacts of Road Transport (OECD Publishing 2014)Google Scholar.

3 WHO, Ambient air pollution: A global assessment of exposure and burden of disease (WHO 2016) p 40 Google Scholar.

4 Vella, K, “Speech, Clean Air Forum” (Clean Air Forum, Paris 16 November 2017) <ec.europa.eu/commission/commissioners/2014-2019/vella/announcements/clean-air-forum-paris-16th-november-2017_en> accessed 5 April 2018+accessed+5+April+2018>Google Scholar.

5 WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, Bonn, WHO Regional Office for Europe, “Review of evidence on health aspects of air pollution — REVIHAAP Project: Technical Report” (WHO 2013) p 35.

6 WHO, “Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health: Key facts” (WHO 5 February 2018) <www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-(outdoor)-air-quality-and-health> accessed 5 April 2018.

7 supra, note 1, Art 2(18) for definition of PM10.

8 WHO, “Global Health Observatory” (WHO 2012) <www.who.int/gho/phe/en/> accessed 5 April 2018+accessed+5+April+2018>Google Scholar.

9 WHO, “Health and the Environment: Addressing the health impact of air pollution” A68/A/CONF./2 Rev.1 26.

10 ibid OP1.4.

11 WHO Regional Office for Europe, “Health risks of particulate matter from long-range transboundary air pollution” (WHO 2006)Google Scholar.

12 R Roy and NA Braathen, “The Rising Cost of Ambient Air Pollution thus far in the 21st Century: Results from the BRIICS and the OECD Countries” (OECD Environment Working Papers, No 124, OECD Publishing 2017).

13 supra, note 3.

14 OECD (2015), OECD Environmental Performance Reviews: Poland 2015, OECD Environmental Performance Reviews (OECD Publishing, Paris)Google Scholar.

15 The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified air pollution in general, as well as PM as a separate component of air pollution mixtures, as carcinogenic. See Straif, K, Cohen, A and Samet, J (eds), Air Pollution and Cancer (IARC Scientific Publications 161 2013)Google Scholar.

16 Vella, K, “Press Statement: Environment Council” (Environment Council, Brussels, 5 March 2018)Google Scholar.

17 The Directive was adopted on the basis of Art 175 of the Treaty establishing the European Community (now Art 192 TFEU). See Directive preamble at para. 1: the Directive was guided by “the need to reduce pollution to levels which minimise harmful effects on human health, paying particular attention to sensitive populations, and the environment as a whole”.

18 Annex XI of the Directive sets out an annual mean for PM10 of 40 μg/m3 and a daily limit value of 50 μg/m3, which may be exceeded not more than 35 days per year.

19 Art 33(1) of the Directive.

20 See Directive preamble at para 3.

21 For discussion, see C-488/15, Commission v Bulgaria [2017] ECLI: EU:C:2017:267 paras. 52–54.

22 See Art 22(2) – problems are restricted to those arising “because of site-specific dispersion characteristics, adverse climatic conditions or transboundary contributions”.

23 See Art 22(3) of the Directive. Further, supra, note 18: the PM10 margin of tolerance was set at 50% to cap the health risks posed by the time extension.

24 See Art 22(4) of the Directive.

25 European Environment Agency, Air Quality in Europe – 2017 Report (EEA 2017).

26 See the second subparagraph of Art 23(1) of the Directive.

27 See Annex XV Section A of the Directive.

28 For further background to the case, see paras. 19–35 of the judgment.

29 The Commission brought an action for failure to fulfil obligations under Art 258 TFEU. The Commissions’ enforcement power derives from Art 17 TFEU.

30 supra, note 21, paras. 68–69 and case law cited for the basis of the Court’s reasoning.

31 Paras. 63–64 of the judgment. Note para. 65: a possible partial downward trend in PM10 data does not invalidate a finding of infringement if the data indicates that Poland remains in violation of PM10 limits.

32 supra, note 21, paras. 106–107. The fact that a Member State has exceeded PM10 limits is insufficient on its own to justify a finding of failure to fulfil Art 23 obligations.

33 supra, note 21, para. 109 and case law cited for the basis of the Court’s reasoning.

34 supra, note 20.

35 Para. 99 of the judgment.

36 Para. 101 of the judgment.

37 Para. 102 of the judgment. Note para. 103: additional measures cannot satisfy Art 23 obligations if they do not result in compliance with PM10 limits.

38 Para. 115 of the judgment.

39 Paras. 121–123 of the judgment.

40 K Vella, “Statement by Commissioner Karmenu Vella following Air Quality Ministerial meeting” (European Commission Press Release 30 January 2018).

41 supra, note 21.

42 For further discussion and relevant case law, see Andrews, A, The Clean Air Handbook: A practical guide to EU air quality law (2nd edn, ClientEarth 2015) pp 40–41 Google Scholar.

43 Failure to adopt “appropriate measures” under Art 23.

44 See Art 260 TFEU.

45 supra, note 42, pp 38–39 for discussion of relevant case law relating to infringement fines.

46 See ClientEarth, “Poland breaks EU air pollution laws with illegal levels of PM10” (ClientEarth, 22 February 2018) <www.clientearth.org/poland-breaks-eu-air-pollution-laws-illegal-levels-pm10/> accessed 5 April 2018.

47 See Opinion of AG Kokott: Case C-488/15, Commission v Bulgaria [2017] ECLI:EU:C:2016:862, para. 75.

48 ibid para. 76 and case law cited as basis for reasoning.

49 supra, note 47, para. 72.

50 supra, note 36.

51 supra, note 47, para. 95.

52 supra, note 47, para. 96.

53 ibid.

54 In accordance with Annex XV of the Directive.

55 supra, note 47, paras. 113–114.

56 supra, note 47, para. 96.

57 supra, note 47, para. 97.

58 Paras. 94–96 of the judgment.

59 supra, note 47, para. 98.

60 supra, note 47, para. 102.

61 See European Commission, “Clean Air Programme” (2013) for further details <ec.europa.eu/environment/air/clean_air/index.htm> accessed 5 April 2018.

62 WHO Regional Office for Europe and OECD “Economic cost of the health impact of air pollution in Europe: Clean air, health and wealth” (WHO 2015) p 38 Google Scholar.

63 See Mathis, K and Huber, BR (eds), Economic Analysis of Law in European Legal Scholarship (Springer 2017) p 4 Google Scholar.

64 World Economic Forum, Global Risks Report 2018 (13th edn, World Economic Forum 2018)Google Scholar.

65 OECD, “The economic consequences of outdoor air pollution: policy highlights” (OECD Publishing 2016) p 11 Google Scholar.

66 See Art 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and supra, note 9 (OP1.10 ter). Further, given that PM10 pollution is responsible for 50% of childhood pneumonia deaths and leads to chronic deficiencies in the long-term lung capacity of infants, improving ambient air can very much be viewed as a children’s rights issue. See WHO Regional Office for Europe, “Exposure to air pollution (particulate matter) in outdoor air” (ENHIS Factsheet 3.3, WHO 2011). Further, see Committee on the Rights of the Child, General comment No 15 on the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health (17 April 2013) CRC/C/GC/15 and supra, note 9 (OP2.3).

67 supra, note 9 (PP8).

68 See K Vella, “Press Conference – Informal Environment Council in Sofia” (10 April 2018) <ec.europa.eu/commission/commissioners/2014-2019/vella/announcements/press-conference-informal-environment-council-sofia_en> accessed 5 April 2018.

69 See European Forum on Eco-Innovation, “21st European Forum on Eco-innovation: key messages and summary of the event” (5–6 February 2018) p 11 <ec.europa.eu/environment/ecoinnovation2018/1st_forum/material/EcoAP%20report%2021%2012-04%20-%20ld.pdf> accessed 5 April 2018.

70 L Berardi, “The air we can´t breathe” (Visegradrevue, 2 February 2016) <visegradrevue.eu/the-air-we-cant-breathe/> accessed 5 April 2018.

71 A Brzozowski, “EU court rules against Poland’s air pollution” (Euractiv, 22 February 2018) <www.euractiv.com/section/air-pollution/news/eu-court-rules-against-polands-air-pollution/> accessed 5 April 2018.

72 supra, note 70.

73 WHO, Air quality guidelines. Global update 2005. Particulate matter, ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide (WHO 2005)Google Scholar.

74 ibid.

75 Chan, Dr Margaret, Ten years in public health: 2007–2017 (WHO 2017)Google Scholar.

76 For further discussion see, WHO, “Health and the environment: Draft road map for an enhanced global response to the adverse health effects of air pollution” EB138/17.

77 Decision No 1386/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on a General Union Environment Action Programme to 2020 “Living well, within the limits of our planet” OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, pp 171–200.

78 See WHO, “WHO Global Conference on Noncommunicable diseases: Enhancing policy coherence between different spheres of policy making that have a bearing on attaining SDG target 3.4 on NCDs by 2030” (18–20 October 2017) <www.who.int/nmh/events/2017/montevideo/about/en/> accessed 5 April 2018. Further, relevant SDG indicators are 3.9.1 (air pollution related mortality), 7.1.2 (access to clean energy in homes) and 11.6.2 (air quality in cities). See <www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals.html> accessed 5 April 2018.