The European Commission announced on Thursday that it would refer Belgium to the Court of Justice of the EU, on the grounds that Flanders is not doing enough to fight against agricultural nitrate pollution.
“In recent years, the pollution of groundwater and surface water has worsened considerably in the Flemish Region and these waters are among the most polluted in the European Union,” notes the Commission.
Regional authorities are well aware of this pollution, regularly noted in reports on the use of fertilizers of animal origin (manure, slurry) to fertilize the soil. Excess nitrate, which plants no longer absorb, ultimately ends up in streams and percolates into groundwater, pollution “which represents a risk for humans and the environment”, recalls the European executive. The problem has been known for years, but the Flemish Region “has still not taken the necessary measures”, she regrets. The procedure before the CJEU may result in financial sanctions.
Last year, Belgium was subject to a similar procedure, but for Wallonia. The south of the country had a decade-old “sustainable management program” for nitrogen that did not meet the requirements of the “nitrates” directive, revised in 2022. The text requires a comprehensive pollution monitoring program nitrate waters and the designation of vulnerable areas where action must be taken to counter pollution. It also sets maximum quantities, per surface area, for the use of nitrogen from livestock manure.
The procedure against Wallonia ceased after the adoption of a new sustainable nitrogen management program.
This article is originally published on lesoir.be
