WRITTEN QUESTION E-3861/00

by Heidi Hautala (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(8 December 2000)

Subject: Pollution of the River Segura (Spain) by nitrates

As its flows through the Autonomous Regions of Valencia and Murcia the basin of the River Segura is seriously polluted with nitrates, affecting both groundwater and surface water, as ascertained by studies carried out in connection with the Spanish Government's White Paper on Water, owing to the intensive use of agricultural fertilisers, which means that 44 880 tonnes of nitrates are discharged into the river each year. The volume of the river is not great enough to absorb this quantity of pollutants, leading to eutrophication which substantially jeopardises water quality.

1. Does the Commission not consider that Spain is infringing Council Directive 75/440/EEC(1) concerning the quality required of surface water intended for the abstraction of drinking water in the Member States?

2. Has Spain designated the Segura basin as a vulnerable zone in accordance with Article 3(2) of Council Directive 91/676/EEC(2) concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources (subsequently referred to as the Nitrates Directive)?

3. If the Segura river basin has been designated as a vulnerable zone, has Spain drawn up and submitted action programmes in accordance with the provisions of Article 5 of the Nitrates Directive?

4. Do the action programmes meet the requirements of the Nitrates Directive?

5. What measures does the Commission intend to take, bearing in mind that the Court of Justice in Luxembourg has already delivered judgements against Spain for its failure to comply with the Nitrates Directive?

(1) OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 26.

(2) OJ L 375, 31.12.1991, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Wallström on behalf of the Commission

(27 February 2001)

The Commission is aware that the Segura basin is contaminated by an excess of nitrates, caused principally by intensive agricultural practices, including pig-farming or some types of fruit and vegetable production. The Segura basin authority has named three sites in the region of Valencia and eight in the region of Murcia where nitrates in surface water regularly exceed the level of 50 milligrams/litre (mg/l). In groundwater, seven aquifers exceed altogether or locally 50 mg/l in the Murcia region (which covers 95 % of the Segura basin).

While the region of Valencia recently officially designated these areas as vulnerable and published an action programme (31 January 2000), however, the region of Murcia in its official bulletin of 11 January 2000 stated that there were no problems connected with agricultural nitrates on its territory.

Having come across similar shortcomings in several regions of Spain, the Commission is currently looking into the question. An earlier procedure dealing with the lack of action programmes led to the condemnation of Spain by the Court of Justice(1) in April 2000. Finally, within the context of the rural development plans, Spain is bound to designate all its vulnerable areas before the end of 2001, failing which the Commission may contemplate suspending Community aid.

(1) Case C-274/98, Court Reports p. I-2823.