France to pay millions in fines for poor air quality

France's highest administrative court, the Council of State, has ordered the government to pay millions of euros in fines for poor air quality in French cities.

The government did not do enough to guarantee good air quality, according to the court's statement on Monday.

Nitrogen dioxide emissions limits were breached in Paris, Lyon and Marseille between July 2021 and 2022. For this, the state must pay €20 million ($19.60 million) in fines to environmental organizations.

The Council of State already imposed a €10 million fine on France in 2021 when environmental groups went to the state lamenting poor air quality in French cities, based on EU air quality regulation.

Next year, the Council of State will again review air quality in France.