France’s highest administrative court has mandated an additional €10 million payment from the state due to persistent air pollution in Paris and Lyon, reported Bloomberg on Friday.
In its Friday ruling, the Conseil d’Etat highlighted that nitrogen dioxide emissions in these cities are beyond European thresholds, with insufficient current and future measures to ensure rapid compliance.
The penalty, comprising two €5 million fines for the latter half of 2022 and the first half of this year, was halved to acknowledge air quality improvements in specific areas.
The majority of the fine will be allocated to government agencies combating climate change and air pollution.
The French environment ministry responded by expressing its commitment to swiftly meeting air quality targets nationally and locally.
The court had previously fined the state €30 million in 2022 and 2021 for shortcomings in air quality improvements, with a reassessment scheduled for the coming year.