LUXEMBOURG (CN) - National authorities must come up with a plan to reduce air pollution in local communities, the European Court of Justice ruled.
The ruling is a victory for German citizen Dieter Janecek, who claimed the state of Bavaria failed to take steps to reduce the particulate emissions near his house, which he claimed were more than 35 times the amount allowed under German law.
The court ruled that individuals such as Janecek can require their local and national authorities to draw up an air-quality action plan, but that member states have no obligation to ensure that pollution caps are never exceeded.
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