EU Commission gets tough on air quality improvement

The European Commission has set a deadline for Germany and other countries to show how they intend to comply with the EU’s air quality standards or face court action, reports Florian Eder for Politico. In a letter seen by Politico, Commissioner for the Environment Karmenu Vella invites ministers of the affected countries – including Germany’s Barbara Hendricks – to a meeting in Brussels on 30 January, which he said “should be considered as the last opportunity to show the steps being taken to redress the situation” of high nitrogen oxide levels, writes Eder. Last year, the Commission had sent a “final warning” to Germany and other countries regarding high nitrogen dioxide levels resulting from road traffic. “Reducing emissions from diesel-powered vehicles is an important step towards achieving compliance with EU air quality standards,” the Commission had said in a press release.

Read the Politico article in English here.

Find background on the diesel technology’s role for clean air and climate in the CLEW article Why the German diesel summit matters for climate and energy.