Case C-375/21, Sdruzhenie ‘Za Zemyata — dostap do pravosadie’ and Others: Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 9 March 2023 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Varhoven administrativen sad — Bulgaria) — Sdruzhenie ‘Za Zemyata — dostap do pravosadie’, ‘Тhe Green Тank — grazhdansko sdruzhenie s nestopanska tsel’ — Hellenic Republic, NS v Izpalnitelen director na Izpalnitelna agentsia po okolna sreda, ‘TETS Maritsa iztok 2’ EAD (Reference for a preliminary ruling — Environment — Ambient air quality — Directive 2008/50/EC — Articles 13 and 23 — Limit values for the protection of human health — Exceedance — Air quality plan — Directive 2010/75/EU — Integrated pollution prevention and control — Update of a permit to operate a power plant — Emission limit values — Article 15(4) — Application for a derogation setting less strict emission limit values — Significant pollution — Article 18 — Compliance with environmental quality standards — Obligations of the competent authority)
Date: 2023-03-09
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: air quality, atmospheric pollutant, derogation from EU law, environmental protection, environmental standard, industrial pollution, pollution control, power plant, prevention of pollution, public health








C_2023155EN.01001101.xml










2.5.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 155/11






Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 9 March 2023 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Varhoven administrativen sad — Bulgaria) — Sdruzhenie ‘Za Zemyata — dostap do pravosadie’, ‘Тhe Green Тank — grazhdansko sdruzhenie s nestopanska tsel’ — Hellenic Republic, NS v Izpalnitelen director na Izpalnitelna agentsia po okolna sreda, ‘TETS Maritsa iztok 2’ EAD
(Case C-375/21, (1) Sdruzhenie ‘Za Zemyata — dostap do pravosadie’ and Others)
(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Environment - Ambient air quality - Directive 2008/50/EC - Articles 13 and 23 - Limit values for the protection of human health - Exceedance - Air quality plan - Directive 2010/75/EU - Integrated pollution prevention and control - Update of a permit to operate a power plant - Emission limit values - Article 15(4) - Application for a derogation setting less strict emission limit values - Significant pollution - Article 18 - Compliance with environmental quality standards - Obligations of the competent authority)
(2023/C 155/13)
Language of the case: Bulgarian

Referring court

Varhoven administrativen sad

Parties to the main proceedings


Applicants: Sdruzhenie ‘Za Zemyata — dostap do pravosadie’, ‘Тhe Green Тank — grazhdansko sdruzhenie s nestopanska tsel’ — Hellenic Republic, NS

Defendants: Izpalnitelen director na Izpalnitelna agentsia po okolna sreda, ‘TETS Maritsa iztok 2’ EAD

Operative part of the judgment

Article 15(4) of Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control), read in conjunction with Article 18 thereof and with Articles 13 and 23 of 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,
must be interpreted as meaning that when considering a request for a derogation under Article 15(4) of the directive, the competent authority must, taking into account all the relevant scientific data on pollution including the cumulative effect with other sources of the pollutant concerned and the measures under the relevant air quality plan established for a given zone or agglomeration in accordance with Article 23 of Directive 2008/50, refrain from granting such a derogation when that derogation is capable of contributing to exceedance of the air quality standards defined pursuant to Article 13 of Directive 2008/50 or being contrary to the measures included in the plan intended to ensure compliance with those standards and to keep the period of exceedance thereof as short as possible.


(1)  OJ C 401, 4.10.2021.