The Guardian said in a report that the British government will be forced to pay massive fines and make court appearances after the Europeran Commission had sought legal action for failure to reduce the excessive nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air pollution levels due to traffic. The newspaper said that despite repeated warnings, deadline extensions and postponements, UK has yet to comply with the recommendations of the regulator. The British government is reportedly facing up to £300 million in fines, aside from the court appearances, as a result of their non-compliance.
The Commission's statement read, "Nitrogen dioxide is the main precursor for ground-level ozone causing major respiratory problems and leading to premature death. City-dwellers are particularly exposed, as most nitrogen dioxide originates in traffic fumes ... air pollution limits are regularly exceeded in 16 zones across the UK."
The polluted areas in the UK are Greater London, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Teesside, the Potteries, Hull, Southampton, Glasgow, the east, the south-east, the east Midlands, Merseyside, Yorkshire & Humberside, the west Midlands, and the north-eastern UK, according to the Commission. The regulator also added that the British government has yet to submit a concrete plan that could be implemented to meet the EU's air quality directive by next year.
EU environment commissioner Janez Potočnik is said to have singled out the country for its persistent breaches of the Euro Zone's air quality directive, despite a number of countries in Europe had also failed to comply with the recommendations. A formal letter of notice has already been sent to the British government, indicating the European Commission's intention to bring the country to court for its non-actions, The Guardian said. UK has two months to respond to the allegations, the paper added.
Last year, Potočnik emphasized the need to meed the air pollution directive of the EU. He said about the effects of air pollution, "It is an invisible killer and it prevents many people from living a fully active life. It already costs Europe €330bn-€940bn (£277bn-£789bn) a year in extra health costs and prematurely killed over 100,000 people a year."
