Judgment of the Court (Sixth Chamber) of 23 March 2023 –Commission v Greece (Limit values – PM10)
(Case C‑70/21) (1)
(Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations – Environment – Directive 2008/50/EC – Ambient air quality – Article 13(1) – Annex XI – Systematic and persistent exceedance of the daily limit value for microparticles (PM10) in the conurbation of Thessaloniki (EL0004) – Article 23(1) – Annex XV – Exceedance period to be ‘as short as possible’ – Appropriate measures)
1.      Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Subject matter of the dispute – Determination during the pre-litigation procedure – Adjustment because of a change in EU law – Whether permissible – Conditions
(Art. 258 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Directive 2008/50; Council Directive 1999/30, Art. 5 and Annex III)
(see paragraph 58)
2.      Actions for failure to fulfil obligations – Subject matter of the dispute – Determination during the pre-litigation procedure – Consideration of events which took place after the delivery of the reasoned opinion – Conditions – Facts of the same kind and constituting the same conduct as those referred to originally
(Art. 258 TFEU)
(see paragraph 59)
3.      Environment – Atmospheric pollution – Ambient air quality – Directive 2008/50 – Limit values for the protection of human health – Systematic and persistent exceedance – Failure to fulfil obligations
(European Parliament and Council Directive 2008/50, Art. 13(1) and Annex XI)
(see paragraphs 62-72, 75, 76)
4.      Environment – Atmospheric pollution – Ambient air quality – Directive 2008/50 – Limit values for the protection of human health – Particulate matter (PM10) – Exceedance – Evaluation criteria – Exceedance of a limit value measured at a single sampling point – Failure to fulfil obligations
(European Parliament and Council Directive 2008/50, Art. 13(1) and Annex XI)
(see paragraphs 73, 74)
5.      Environment – Atmospheric pollution – Ambient air quality – Directive 2008/50 – Limit values for the protection of human health – Particulate matter (PM10) – Exceedance – Consequences – Obligation on the Member State to draw up a plan to remedy the infringement – Time limit – Failure to adopt appropriate and effective measures ensuring that the exceedance period is as short as possible – Failure to fulfil obligations
(European Parliament and Council Directive 2008/50, Arts 13(1), 23(1) and Annex XV)
(see paragraphs 110-121)
6.      Environment – Atmospheric pollution – Ambient air quality – Directive 2008/50 – Exceedance of the air quality limit values – Obligation to draw up a plan to remedy this – Time limit – Setting of an excessively long period – Not permissible – Failure to fulfil obligations
(European Parliament and Council Directive 2008/50, Art. 23(1))
(see paragraphs 122-124)
Operative part
The Court:
1.      Declares that,
–        by failing to ensure that the daily limit value for PM10 was not exceeded systematically and persistently from 2005 to 2012 inclusive, in 2014 and again from 2017 to 2019 inclusive, in the EL0004 conurbation of Thessaloniki, the Hellenic Republic has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 13(1) of, in conjunction with Annex XI to, Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008, on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe,
and
–        by failing to adopt, from 11 June 2010, appropriate measures to ensure compliance with the limit values for PM10 concentrations in the EL0004 conurbation of Thessaloniki, the Hellenic Republic has failed to meet the obligations under Article 23(1) of Directive 2008/50/EC, read in conjunction with Annex XV to that directive, and in particular the obligation to ensure that air quality plans provide for appropriate measures to ensure that the duration of the exceedance of limit values is as short as possible;
2.      Orders the Hellenic Republic to pay the costs.
1 OJ C 128, 12.4.2021.