The European Commission has decided to refer Belgium to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ) once again, due to Flanders’ inaction on nitrate pollution.
The European Nitrates Directive requires Member States to take measures to protect surface and groundwater from agricultural pollution.
The Commission claims that Flanders is not taking the necessary steps, and the existing measures are inadequate. Flemish surface and groundwater are among the most polluted by nitrates in Europe, it says.
In July, the European Commission announced that it would take Belgium to the CJEU, arguing that Flanders was not doing enough to fight agricultural nitrate pollution.
At the end of December last, Flanders adopted a new action plan, MAP 7. This plan includes buffer zones along waterways, less strict fertiliser regulations, reduced animal manure usage through pig-population cuts, and increased cultivation of nitrate-insensitive crops.
The Flemish government considers the European Commission’s action “premature” and regrettable.
“Our services have had virtually no contact with Commission officials. We are convinced that MAP 7 will significantly improve water quality," said a spokesperson for Flemish Environment and Agriculture Minister Jo Brouns.
"The new action plan is proceeding as planned," the spokesperson added. "This new step by the Commission is more than regrettable.”
