(Bloomberg) -- Germany must revamp it clean air policy after the government failed to take into account the latest data and information when drawing up new legislation, a Berlin top court ruled,
Germany used outdated data in its recently amended National Clean Air Program which aims to meet European Union requirements to slash harmful pollutants, the tribunal said in a statement on Tuesday.
The suit is one of several brought by environmental group DUH, which had had already scored a similar victory in May and another in November. The government has always appealed those judgments. Tuesday’s ruling covers national rules to reduce ammonia, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
A spokeswoman for the German Environmental Ministry said the government won dismissal of major parts of the suit and was ordered to update the program where things changed after the forecasts were drawn up.
The judges recognized the complexity of these forecasts and ruled that updates depend on the circumstances of each individual case, she added.
“For the first time, the German government was convicted for its years of inaction on air pollution control,” said Jürgen Resch, Managing Director at DUH.
The case is: OVG Berlin-Brandenburg, 11 A 16.20.
(Updates with government statement in fourth paragraph.)
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