The ruling emphasizes the necessity of more extensive groundwater protection and confirms the need for strict compliance with environmental standards by the agricultural sector. Just last week, the European Union made clear that it will take tougher action against nitrate pollution of soil and drinking water. Brussels launched infringement procedures last week against Ireland, Flanders, and Austria in this regard.
The German manure law has caused many years of debate, not only between nature and environmental advocates and agricultural organizations but also among political parties and between the federal government and the sixteen German states. Due to this deadlock, efforts to combat nitrate pollution largely stalled for decades. Only after the European Union eventually threatened to impose multi-million-euro fines did this begin to change.
The Federal Constitutional Court has now ruled that not only must the existing 'red zones' be maintained, but the manure regulations must also be tightened to effectively protect water quality. The German center-left coalition has already submitted proposals to this end. In the future, farmers will have to measure and record their manure use and do everything possible to prevent harmful substances from entering the environment.
BMEL Minister of Agriculture Cem Özdemir thus faces a difficult task. His proposed stricter regulations are meeting strong resistance from various German states and agricultural organizations. The criticism primarily focuses on the economic impact and the practicality of the tighter rules for farming businesses.
Özdemir is currently considering postponing his new manure rules by several months, possibly because of state elections in September. Three states with strong agricultural backgrounds will go to the polls then, and the political sensitivity surrounding this issue is high.
The postponement would provide space for further negotiations and adjustments to create broader support in the mediation committee. There, representatives of the states and the federal government attempt to reach a compromise. This process is complex and time-consuming but crucial for finding a sustainable solution.