The UK wants to use a 'loophole' in EU rules to delay NO2 pollution fight until 2025

Dec 13, 2011 08:43 GMT  ·  By

The UK is using a court battle to exploit a "loophole" in the EU rules to postpone their announced emission reduction target. London could meet the deadline in 2025, even though it is considered to be one of the most polluted big cities worldwide.

Activists and eco-groups say that the UK government is making 'mockery' of strategies aiming to improve air quality, the Ecologist informs.

Lawyers from ClientEarth will support their cause in court, stating that the UK has failed to comply with the EU targets meant to decrease the toxic amount of nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

This pollutant is very dangerous, since it has been associated with a wide series of health problems like asthma and reduced lung capacity.

The main objective the UK had to accomplish was to comply with the EU legal framework fighting the growing concentration of NO2 in the atmosphere by 2010. Since it has failed to embrace effective strategies, the UK can benefit from a timeline extension, until 2015.

Instead of focusing on a viable plan to decrease NO2 amount on long-terms, the UK plans to exploit a “loopole” in the EU regulations, hoping it could delay the actual implementation of much-expected changes.

This initiative has raised the anger of environmentalists arguing that this plan is “disgraceful,” and turn the EU targets into a “nonsense.”

Moreover, eco-groups indicate that this wrong decision could inspire a similar movement developed in other countries that would also try to exempt themselves from the savior plan.

“That is ridiculous. They're putting more effort into arguing against it rather than tackling the problem,” stated Simon Birkett from the Campaign for Clean Air in London.

Same opinion seems to be shared by ClientEarth lawyer Alan Andrews who is keen on demonstrating the UK's strategy is fundamentally wrong and “unlawful.”

Furthermore, he hopes the court decision will compel the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to find and exploit effective measures of lowering NO2 concentration by 2015. Even though earth-friendly voices win this case, Defra will still have a chance to appeal.

Restoring air quality is an important step, since experts have reached the conclusion NO2 is a hazardous element, responsible for an increased number of premature deaths up to 29,000 and also correlated as a significant contributor to other 200,000 early deaths, only in 2008.