The anger in Germany over the EU infringement procedure due to non-compliance with the EU Nitrate Directive shows no signs of diminishing. The European Commission remains dissatisfied with the controversial German manure laws. Brussels demands that the Germans reduce the pollution of drinking water.
The European Court of Justice had already condemned the Federal Republic in 2018 for excessive nitrate levels in German groundwater and called for changes to the manure law.
The European Commission is not satisfied with last year’s amended German manure regulation. Environment Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevičius complains in a letter to Berlin once again about the inadequate implementation of the EU Nitrate Directive in Germany. This brings the threat of a multi-million euro fine for Germany closer and closer.
The European Court of Justice had already condemned the Federal Republic in 2018 for excessive nitrate levels in German groundwater and called for changes to the manure law.
Brussels thus makes clear that it is not satisfied with the “adjustments” the Germans tried to achieve with their stricter manure standards (designation of “red areas”). Sinkevičius demands a “well-founded justification” for cases in which measuring points are included outside the designated areas with high nitrate contamination.
The heart of the problem is that the German ministry says the federal states are responsible for this, but the EU holds Berlin responsible for the way a country implements EU rules.
The German drinking water companies criticized the way Germany still does not comply with the EU rules for protecting drinking water. The German ministry says it wants to discuss the matter with Brussels, but then together with the federal states.