EU states breached air pollution limits in 2020 despite COVID

FILE PHOTO: The Eiffel Tower is surrounded by a small-particle haze which hangs above the skyline in Paris, France, December 9, 2016. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Most European Union countries broke at least one air pollution limit last year, even as COVID-19 lockdowns improved air quality in many regions, according to provisional European Environment Agency (EEA) data published on Tuesday.

Excessive air pollution has landed around 10 EU countries in court in recent years, and while air quality has improved this decade it remains Europe's biggest environmental health risk.