March 24, 2023
environment
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The European Court of Justice has once again condemned Greece over its environmental performance, and Thessaloniki more specifically over its air quality.
The court on Thursday found very high levels of micro-particles in the air of the northern city, which Greece has failed to tackle over the last decade.
The European Commission’s monitoring of levels of 10-micron diameter particulate matter (PM10) in Greece started in 2005. It found problems in many agglomerations, with limits being exceeded for numerous days.
As a result, it sent a warning letter in 2009 and a supplementary one in 2013, arguing that, as well as the persistent violation of the limits, Greece had not taken appropriate measures to ensure the period of exceedances was as short as possible in Athens and Thessaloniki.
In 2021 Greece was referred to the ECJ, and on Thursday Thessaloniki’s first conviction over the issue was announced. [kathimerini]
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