site.btaEuropean Commission Calls on Bulgaria to Reduce Air Pollution

On Thursday, the European Commission called on Bulgaria and 13 other EU countries to reduce air pollution. The other countries include Denmark, Ireland, Spain, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Sweden.

The rules call for each state to achieve pollution reductions each year through 2029 and beyond 2030. States are required to create national air pollution control programmes to show they are meeting the goals.

The specified countries have not fulfilled the requirements for limiting pollutants, the Commission noted. The targeted measures are not sufficient to limit the annual emissions caused by human activity.

States have two months to respond and remedy the deficiencies. In the absence of a satisfactory answer, the EC will continue with an indictment procedure.
The Commission filed a lawsuit at the EU Court of Justice on Thursday against Bulgaria, Ireland, Greece, Italy, Latvia and Portugal for failure to comply with various provisions of the rules on the prevention and management of the introduction and spread of invasive alien species. These species are plants and animals that have been introduced accidentally or intentionally to an area where they are not normally found.

European rules include measures regarding these species. The six mentioned countries have not created, implemented and communicated to the EC action plans in this regard.