There are 16 outdated coal-fired power plants in the Western Balkans that pollute the air and cause health problems in the region and beyond. According to the World Health Organization, 3,000 people die prematurely from this pollution and 8,000 children suffer from bronchitis and other diseases.
Pollution knows no bounds. Thermal power plants in Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Bosnia that are quite obsolete – inefficient and out of regulation supply the air to a large extent and the pollution spreads to Romania, Italy, Bulgaria, Greece, and even to Germany and Austria.
In 2016, these 16 coal-fired power plants in the Balkans polluted the environment with more sulfur dioxide and almost the same with PM2.5 of all 250 other thermal power plants in Europe! It is a large concentration of pollution in a small space. Some EU members have been fined for failing to meet EU air quality standards
Apart from the few countries that are not in the EU, some EU members also contribute to increased pollution. For example, in 2017, the European Court of Justice and Judgments of Bulgaria to take future measures to improve air quality. Bulgaria faces heavy financial penalties for failing to meet EU air quality standards. In 2018, Poland was also punished for not meeting these EU standards. Several other countries such as Hungary, Italy, Romania have been warned of exceeding the PM10 threshold. But despite EU standards, air pollution, pollution from Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina is spreading to Europe.