Today, the Commission decided to refer Bulgaria, Lithuania, Portugal and Sweden to the Court of Justice of the European Union for not respecting their emission reduction commitments for several air pollutants as required by the Directive on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants (Directive (EU) 2016/2284), known as ‘the NEC Directive.
The NEC Directive sets national emission reduction commitments for several air pollutants, to be attained by every Member State each year between 2020 and 2029, and more ambitious reductions from 2030 onwards. Member States are also required to establish and update National Air Pollution Control Programmes (NAPCPs) to show how these reduction commitments will be met. Bulgaria, Portugal and Sweden have failed to meet the emission reduction commitment for ammonia (NH3), and Lithuania for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC).
In January 2023, based on the analysis of the NAPCPs and national emission inventories submitted in 2022 providing data up to 2020, the Commission sent letters of formal notice to fourteen Member States that did not fulfil their emission reduction commitments for 2020. Ammonia is the pollutant for which most of the Member States have not complied with their obligations.
Following the analysis of the national emission inventories submitted in 2023 and covering data up to 2021, together with further information reported by the Member States (such as emission projections for 2025 and 2030; updated NAPCPs and updated policies and measures, where relevant), in November 2023 the Commission issued reasoned opinions to nine of those fourteen Member States.
The latest emission inventories submitted by the Member States, in 2025, reflecting emission data up to 2023, show persistent shortfalls in reaching the emission reduction commitments for some Member States. The Commission considers that efforts by the authorities have, to date, been insufficient to comply with their emissions reduction commitments under the NEC Directive and decided therefore to refer Bulgaria, Lithuania, Portugal and Sweden to the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Commission will continue monitoring the emissions of air pollutants in all Member States and decide on further action, where warranted.
Background
Air pollution costs human health and economic activities between an estimated EUR 330 to EUR 940 billion per year in the EU, including lost workdays, healthcare costs, crop yield loss and damage to buildings, whereas all the measures in the EU to improve air quality have an estimated combined cost of EUR 70 to EUR 80 billion per year. The growing demand for less polluting goods and services entails significant business opportunities, already mobilising EU companies towards innovative solutions. Beyond protecting the environment, acting on pollution also entails stronger inter-generational solidarity.
The NEC Directive contributes to reaching the 2030 air pollution objectives of the zero-pollution action plan. It targets five air pollutants responsible for significant negative impacts on human health and the environment, namely: sulphur dioxide (SO2); nitrogen oxides (NOx); non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC); ammonia (NH3); and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The Directive entered into force in 2016 and sets national reduction commitments for pollutant emissions, expressed as a percentage of the emissions of each pollutant in the baseline year 2005. These obligations have applied since 2020, with emissions data reported for the first time in 2022.
More Information
Infringement decisions database and infringements map and graphs
November 2025 infringements package
Infringement procedure Bulgaria INFR(2022)2068
Infringement procedure Lithuania INFR(2022)2074
Infringement procedure Portugal INFR(2022)2078
Infringement procedure Sweden INFR(2022)2080
