site.btaRomanians Suffering from Polluted Air Can Sue Local Authorities – Romanian MEP

Romanians, who fall ill due to air pollution, will be able to access justice and sue their local authorities for compensation, said MEP Nicolae Stefanuta in a press release quoted by Agerpres and the Adevarul on Wednesday.

Stefanuta's statement reads: "This is a victory for citizens. [...] Citizens will be able to sue local authorities for compensation, if they become ill due to air pollution. We have reduced the level of acceptable hazardous particles and imposed mandatory approved measurements in the most polluted areas." The MEP was hopeful that these measures will improve the quality of air in Romania.

Adevarul cited a study by the European Environment Agency showing that Romania is the EU Member State with the eighth highest number of deaths caused by pollution, which claims an estimated 30,000 lives annually.

Romania's air is the second most polluted in Europe according to a study by Dyson, which analyzed data collected between 2022 and 2023. Out of 181 air quality measurement stations, only 82 are operational in Romania. In early January, the concentration of fine particulate matter in Bucharest was recorded to be four times above the permissible norm.

The European Commission has already sent several warnings and initiated infringement procedures against the Romanian state for failing to comply with the obligation to monitor air pollution. In 2020, Romania was condemned by the Court of Justice of the European Union for not making efforts to reduce pollution in Bucharest.