Poland referred to EU court for violating environmental rules

BRUSSELS, April 16 (UPI) -- The European Commission said Wednesday it referred Poland to a regional court of justice for violating rules on greenhouse gases.

"The European Commission has decided to refer Poland to the EU Court of Justice for failing to notify to the Commission what penalties have been put in place in case the EU rules for companies and personnel undertaking certain activities with fluorinated gases are not observed," the commission said in a statement.

European law requires companies to take steps to reduce the amount of fluorinated gases, a harmful pollutant, leaked into the atmosphere. The European Commission said it sent a request to Poland to address the issue in November.

The ruling follows a series of scathing reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warning that global climate change is out of control. The European Commission said action to curb the release of fluorinated gases is part of a comprehensive effort to prevent further global warming.

The Polish government has expressed opposition to renewable energy targets in the European Union. Its economy relies heavily on coal to meet its energy needs.