10 European Union (EU) member states have come under the scrutiny of the European Commission over their excessive air pollution levels.
The Commission said Thursday that it has launched an infringement procedure against those countries for failing to comply with the bloc's air quality standard for dangerous airborne particles known as PM10.
Estonia, Cyprus, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Britain failed to give a satisfactory reply to the Commission's first warning for not reducing the PM10 concentration down to the required level.
If they fail to comply with the regulations even after getting a second warning letter, the EU executive body may refer the case to the European Court of Justice.
PM10 particles, emitted mainly by industry, traffic, and domestic heating, can cause asthma, cardiovascular diseases, lung cancer and premature death.
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