Pravda daily reports how Slovakia could face a sanction of EUR 50,000 a day because of the levels of harmful dust particles in the air.
According to EU studies, an astonishing 3,600-5,800 deaths each year in Slovakia are down to air pollution. The Ministry of Environment has defended itself by saying that because Slovakia is a transit country for trucks, for instance, the problem is not just a national issue.
Now if the European Commission is not satisfied with reply of the Slovak Republic (sent at the end of 2010), it could initiate action at the European Court of Justice for breach of the so-called PM10 limits.