Romania, Germany and Spain have been referred to the EU’s top court over poor air quality, inadequate nature protection and nitrates pollution respectively, the European Commission has announced in its latest infringement package.

The Portuguese government will have to answer for breaching air pollution limits, the European Commission has announced in its latest monthly infringement package.

The European Commission has told Spain and Croatia to respect earlier rulings from the European Court of Justice or else face being taken to court again, in its latest set of infringement procedures.

The Polish government has drawn the ire of environmental campaigners for refusing to cease operations at the Turów lignite mine, even after the Court of Justice of the EU issued a €500,000 daily fine.

The concentration of nitrous oxide in Athens has been “continually and persistently” higher than the limits set out in the Ambient Air Quality Directive, the European Commission has said as it referred Greece to the European Court of Justice.

Spain has failed over a prolonged period to protect groundwater resources in the Doñana UNESCO-listed wetland in the south of the country from depletion by intensive agricultural irrigation and drinking water demand, the European Court of Justice has ruled.

The European Commission is referring three member states to the European Court of Justice for repeated failures to meet EU green rules, it announced on Wednesday as part of its regular infringements package.

Germany, Slovakia, Poland and Slovenia all face legal action at the Court of Justice of the EU for failing to comply with environmental rules ranging from air quality to nature conservation, the European Commission has said.