The European Commission has today (Friday, December 1) launched an “open public consultation” on the evaluation of the Nitrates Directive.
The commission has invited “farmers, industries, non governmental organisations (NGOs), citizens, public administrations, water authorities and others” to share their views on the Nitrates Directive.
The commission also confirmed the evaluation of the Nitrates Directive in its 2024 work programme.
“The Nitrates Directive protects groundwaters, rivers, lakes and seas from pollution caused by nitrates.
“It sets limits on the use of fertilisers and promotes the adoption of good farming and environmental practices,” the European Commission highlighted today.
The evaluation next year will assess if the directive remains “fit for purpose and contributes to a sustainable and resilient agriculture and food security”.
It will also look whether the directive is helping farmers to “adapt and increase resilience” – in changing climatic and environmental conditions – and whether it is supportive of new agricultural practices, while promoting the recycling of nutrients from various sources, including “processed manure”.
According to the commission one of the key objectives of the evaluation process will be to “investigate the potential for simplification, burden and cost reductions with a focus on increased coherence with other legislation and developments in farm practices and technology”.
One other aspect of the process will be to also consider the directive’s contribution to the commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework of “reducing nutrient losses by 50% by 2030 globally”.
“The evaluation will include several consultation activities aiming to ensure that the sector’s and public’s interests across the EU are properly reflected,” the commission stated.
Nitrates Directive
Under the Nitrates Directive, EU member states are required to carry out several actions which includes:
- Identifying waters polluted by nitrates and waters that are eutrophic – ie have excess nutrients and algae growth;
- Designating areas that are particularly susceptible to nitrate pollution;
- Developing codes of good agricultural practices;
- Implementing measures aimed at preventing and reducing water pollution caused by nutrients.
The Nitrates Directive also supports the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, which “aims for all European surface waters to achieve “good status” by 2027.
The European Commission is inviting interested parties to share their views on the Nitrates Directive via an online consultation that runs until March 8, 2024.