Commission Rejects UK Application to Delay Compliance With Nitrogen Dioxide Laws in 12 Zones

Commission Rejects UK Application to Delay Compliance With Nitrogen Dioxide Laws in 12 Zones PR Newswire LONDON, June 28, 2012 LONDON, June 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- 16 of the UK's 31 other zones, including London, which does not expect compliance until 2025, also face infringement action. Commission is seeking separate clarification on five issues in London The European Commission (Commission) has objected to the UK's application to delay compliance with one or both of the nitrogen dioxide (NO ) annual mean and hourly limit values in 12 of 24 zones from 1 January 2010 to 1 January 2015. In2 four of the 24 zones, the Commission has set shorter deadlines than the 2015 deadline requested. Only three of the UK's 43 zones complied with both NO limit values by January 2010. These legal standards were introduced in 1999 to be2 complied with by 1 January 2010. Time extensions are subject to strict conditions including demonstrating that compliance will be achieved by the new deadline which cannot be later than 1 January 2015. The Commission's decision noted, as Clean Air in London (CAL) had highlighted to the Commission in January 2012 and the Government clarified to the Commission in a letter dated 2 April 2012, the UK had not applied in September 2011 for a time extension for 16 further zones, for which compliance was expected by 2020 and in London's case by 2025, despite the Commission initially considering it had done so.