Sweden risks EU fines over poor air quality
Two years after Sweden was found guilty in an EU court of violations of the EU’s air quality directive, several Swedish cities are still failing to comply with the law. Now, Sweden could face multi-million kronor fines.
The bill for municipalities that fail to bring pollution levels down could run into half a million SEK per day, or up to 180 million per year.
Most of the air pollution in Swedish cities comes from heavy vehicles and cars with winter tires that tear heavy particles off the roads.
“It is a failure…something needs to happen for us to be able to meet the air quality requirements,” Erik Bäck, an inspector at the City of Gothenburg environment office, told Swedish Radio News.
Gothenburg is one of the cities that have failed to comply with the EU directives.
Bäck hopes Gothenburg’s congestion charges, introduced this week, will help the city reduce pollution levels.
“I think that if we see a reduction in emissions now we will have come some way and I hope we will eventually reach the goal.”
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