July 25 (SeeNews) - The European Commission said on Thursday that it has decided to send a letter of formal notice to Romania, urging the country to improve its implementation of EU rules on permits for industrial installations.
"Following complaints from citizens and NGOs, the Commission has found that several installations, including four large combustion plants and a large pig farm, do not have permits setting operating conditions in accordance with EU legislation," the Commission said in a monthly package of infringement decisions.
In addition, two large combustion plants that were initially part of the Romanian transitional national plan but have since been withdrawn, are failing to respect the applicable emission limit values for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and dust, according to the EU institution.
The EU directive on industrial emissions regulates emissions including sulphur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, and dust into the air with the aim of reducing those emissions and the risks to human health and the environment they may cause.
Romania has two months to respond to the arguments raised by the Commission, or the EU institution may decide to send a reasoned opinion, which could in turn be followed by referral to court over the issue.