BRUSSELS — The European Union’s top court ruled on Wednesday that cities needed to act if pollution levels were exceeded in a single black spot rather than based on an average across a region, taking a hard line in a case brought by Brussels residents.
European governments are facing pressure to reduce the level of pollution in cities to address growing concerns about the long-term damage to public health of exposure to pollutants, particularly those from vehicle diesel engines.
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A report released last year by the European Court of Auditors said that air pollution causes about 400,000 premature deaths each year in the EU and hundreds of billions of euros in health-related external costs.
EU law requires countries to assess the level, notably in urban areas, of a range of pollutants, including ozone and particulate matter, and take action if certain limits are hit.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) was asked to rule in a case brought against Brussels by residents and campaign group ClientEarth over the region’s air quality plan.