Germany registers 15 highly polluted cities with EU

The German government said it had registered 15 cities with high pollution levels with the European Union.

The city of Frankfurt is now included, German Chancellery Chief, Mr Helge Braun, said on Wednesday.

Braun said the country’s cabinet would decide on Nov. 7 on changes to the Emission Control Act, which regulated parts of German environmental law.

Germany would ensure that cities which exceeded pollution levels by only a little were not subject to diesel bans.

“We are convinced that driving bans can be avoided in most of the 65 affected cities with the package of measures,” Braun said.

His reference was to the agreement between Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Conservatives and the Social Democrats earlier in the month, aimed at reducing pollution in German cities.