Brussels takes Lithuania to court over nitrogen oxides and volatile compounds

The European Commission has brought the Republic of Lithuania before the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing, since 2020, to comply with the emission limits for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and the commitments to reduce non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) set by Directive (EU) 2016/2284. The action was brought on 14 August 2026 and registered as Case C-931/26; it was published in the Official Journal of the European Union, C series, of 28 September 2026 under reference C/2026/4874. The language of the case is Lithuanian.

The legal framework at issue is Directive (EU) 2016/2284 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants, which amended Directive 2003/35/EC and repealed Directive 2001/81/EC (OJ L 344, 2016, p. 1). Table A of Annex II to that directive fixes the national emission reduction commitments applicable to each Member State for the period 2020–2029.

The two breaches alleged

The Commission asks the Court to declare two separate failures by the Republic of Lithuania:

• A breach of Article 4(1), read in conjunction with Table A of Annex II, of Directive (EU) 2016/2284, in that since 2020 the country has failed to comply with the emission limits for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and with the commitments to reduce levels of non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs).
• A breach of Article 6(1) of the same directive, in that the national air pollution control programme adopted by Lithuania contains measures that are not sufficient to limit national emissions to the extent necessary to meet the national emission reduction commitments for NOx and NMVOCs for the period 2020–2029.
• An order that the Republic of Lithuania pay the costs of the proceedings.

The figures and the evidence

The commitments at stake for Lithuania under Table A of Annex II are a 48 per cent reduction for NOx and a 32 per cent reduction for NMVOCs over the 2020–2029 period. According to the Commission, Lithuania has consistently failed to meet both since 2020.

The finding rests on the Commission’s analysis of the national emission inventory reports submitted by Lithuania for 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. On that basis, the executive concludes that the country has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 4(1) of Directive (EU) 2016/2284, read in conjunction with Table A of Annex II, and separately under Article 6(1).

Parties and procedure

The case pits the European Commission, represented by J. Jokubauskaitės and I. Melo Sampaio, against the Republic of Lithuania as defendant. The action was lodged on 14 August 2026 and is pending before the Court of Justice of the European Union under number Case C-931/26, with Lithuanian as the language of the proceedings. The notice carries the European Legislation Identifier http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/4874/oj.

The case matters beyond Lithuania’s borders: nitrogen oxides and non-methane volatile organic compounds are precursors of ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter, and national emission ceilings are the instrument through which the European Union enforces its air quality objectives. A ruling against Lithuania would confirm that the Commission is willing to litigate the 2020–2029 reduction commitments, and it puts the country’s air pollution control programme itself under judicial scrutiny.

Source: Official Journal of the European Union, C series, C/2026/4874, 28 September 2026, section I (official reference: C/2026/4874).