The European Commission has announced its decision to refer Romania to the Court of Justice of the European Union over non-compliance with EU air monitoring obligations. The referral concerns Romania’s failure to meet requirements under the Ambient Air Quality Directives, specifically Directive 2008/50/EC and Directive 2004/107/EC.
These directives require member states to monitor ambient air quality by following detailed rules about the number, type, and location of sampling points, as well as meeting data-quality objectives. According to the Commission, Romania’s national air-quality monitoring network does not comply with these legal standards.
The Commission began infringement proceedings in June 2017 by sending a letter of formal notice to Romanian authorities, followed by an additional letter in July 2019. In June 2023, a reasoned opinion was issued, but Romania has yet to make the necessary changes.
After reviewing recent air-quality data from Romania, the Commission determined that significant gaps remain despite modernization efforts. The issues include an insufficient number of sampling points and failures in meeting data-quality objectives for key pollutants such as particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NOx), heavy metals, and benzoapyrene. As a result, the current monitoring network does not provide complete or reliable information on air quality as required by EU law.
“The Commission considers that efforts by the Romanian authorities have, to date, been insufficient and is therefore referring Romania to the Court of Justice of the European Union,” according to today’s announcement.
The Ambient Air Quality Directives are part of a broader EU policy framework aimed at achieving clean air goals by 2030 under the zero pollution action plan. These directives set limits for various pollutants and establish detailed requirements for how member states must monitor and report air quality data so that EU standards are met across all countries.
For further details about ongoing infringement procedures within the EU context or specific decisions involving Romania, more information can be found through resources like the EU infringement procedure database and related updates.