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European Commission Starts Action Against Slovakia over Air Quality
Friday 20 November 2009 Zoom in | Print page
Brussels, November 20 (TASR) - The European Commission on Friday launched proceedings against eight EU member states, including Slovakia, for insufficient advancement in the improvement of air quality, TASR learnt later in the day.
Member states were obliged to adopt measures by 2005 in order to ensure compliance with daily and yearly limits for small airborne particles known as PM10.
Upon meeting the prescribed conditions, member states were allowed to request extra time to meet the limits - by June 2011, with Slovakia and other countries eventually requesting this exception. The Commission granted the exemptions, since Slovakia as well as the other countries committed themselves to undertake measures aimed at fulfilling conditions within the extended deadline and to adopt a plan of quality involving measures aim at decreasing air pollution.
However, based on an annual report for 2008 that the countries have submitted, Brussels concluded that the eight states are failing to live up to the commitments and the prescribed limits were exceeded.
The countries now have two months to submit an explanation to the Commission.
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