Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-09-02-Speech-2-274"
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"en.20030902.10.2-274"2
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".
The Commission is aware that the ambient air quality situation, particularly in metropolitan cities such as Athens, needs to be improved. This is a major aim of current Community legislation on air quality and emissions.
In compliance with the reporting obligations of the Air Quality Framework Directive, Greece has reported the 2001 concentration levels for the pollutants regulated in the first daughter directive. According to this information, the limit values for PM10, as well as for NO2, plus the margin of tolerance, have been exceeded at several stations in Athens.
As Greece has not yet provided the necessary justification to demonstrate that such excesses of PM10 are due to natural events, the Commission expects to receive plans and programmes in accordance with Article 8 of the framework directive by the end of 2003. These should show how Greece intends to achieve the limit values by 2005. The same applies to NO2 where, however, no derogation for natural sources or events is allowed.
For NO2 the directives also set an alert threshold which is surpassed when concentrations exceed 400 micrograms per cubic metre over three consecutive hours. The Commission must be informed of any exceeding of the alert threshold within three months. No information from the Greek authorities on such an event has been provided up to now.
The Commission has also received findings from a research programme indicating an increase of mortality in cities where high PM10 concentrations are accompanied by high NO2 levels and a warm climate. We need to study these findings carefully to conclude whether there is sufficient evidence for such a relationship. However, there is no doubt that unfavourable climatic conditions are always an additional threat to human health.
Member States are obliged to ensure that up-to-date information on ambient concentration of air pollutants, such as NO2 or PM10, is routinely made available to the public. According to the honourable Member, the ministry has stopped issuing information on this matter.
In the light of the above, the Commission will open an own-initiative case to investigate whether and to what extent the Greek authorities have not complied with the relevant EC regulations."@en1
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