EU court orders countries take hard line on air quality

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union's top court ruled on Wednesday that cities needed to act if pollution levels were exceeded in a single black spot rather than based on an average across a region, taking a hard line in a case brought by Brussels residents.

European governments are facing pressure to reduce the level of pollution in cities to address growing concerns about the long-term damage to public health of exposure to pollutants, particularly those from vehicle diesel engines.