France’s top administrative court, the Council of State on Wednesday fined the state a record high amount for failing to improve air quality to acceptable levels.
The Council of State on Wednesday fined the state 10 million euros (equivalent to $12 million).
The penalties imposed by the French State Council on Wednesday came after the ultimatum of six months, which ordered the government to improve its air pollution efforts last year.
According to the RFI, the non-governmental Friends of the Earth, which launched the pollution lawsuit against the government, will get 100,000 euros, the judges ruled.
The State Council said it would revisit the government’s actions in the second half of this year and 2022 to see if additional penalties were justified.
Announcing the record fine, the Council of State, France’s top administrative tribunal, said measures decided by the government were insufficient to improve air quality, RFI reported.
The council ruled Last year that the government had failed to implement a court order dating from 2017 to curb air pollution levels, and gave it six months to take corrective action or face a 10-million-euro fine every six months until air quality improves.
With the six-month deadline has elapsed, the Council is now implementing its threat.
According to the RFI news agency, air pollution is believed to cause 40,000 premature deaths in France per year.
The Council of State also justified the high penalty with the fact that the upper limits for particulate matter have already been in force since 2005 and those for nitrogen dioxide since 2010, according to DPA International.
The Council of State advises the government in France, but at the same time has the function of the highest administrative court and can therefore also impose penalties, the DPA International reported.
The institution called for further steps for more air pollution controls that go beyond the switch to more environmentally friendly cars and a gradual ban on oil and gas heating.
The court said that pollution by nitrogen dioxide — produced by fossil fuel combustion, notably by cars — was still excessive in five urban areas: Paris, Lyon, Marseille-Aix, Toulouse, and Grenoble.
(With inputs from agencies)
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