Case C-576/22: Judgment of the Court (Sixth Chamber) of 14 March 2024 – European Commission v Kingdom of Spain (Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations – Directive 91/676/EEC – Article 3(4) – Article 5(4) – Annex II(A)(2) and (5) – Annex II(B)(9) – Annex III(1)(2) and (3) and Annex III(2) – Article 5(5) – Protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources – Review of the list of nitrate vulnerable zones – Mandatory measures provided for in action programmes – Additional or reinforced measures)
Date: 2024-03-14
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: chemical salt, eutrophication, fertiliser, infringement of EU law, pollution from agricultural sources, regions of Spain, water pollutant, water protection




C_202403047EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/3047


13.5.2024






Judgment of the Court (Sixth Chamber) of 14 March 2024 – European Commission v Kingdom of Spain


(Case C-576/22)
                (1)

(Failure of a Member State to fulfil obligations - Directive 91/676/EEC - Article 3(4) - Article 5(4) - Annex II(A)(2) and (5) - Annex II(B)(9) - Annex III(1)(2) and (3) and Annex III(2) - Article 5(5) - Protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources - Review of the list of nitrate vulnerable zones - Mandatory measures provided for in action programmes - Additional or reinforced measures)
(C/2024/3047)
Language of the case: Spanish

Parties


Applicant: European Commission (represented by: C. Hermes and E. Sanfrutos Cano, acting as Agents)

Defendant: Kingdom of Spain (represented by: A. Ballesteros Panizo, acting as Agent)

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:








1.









—


By not designating as vulnerable zones in the Comunidad Autónoma de las Islas Baleares (Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands, Spain), in the Comunidad de Madrid (Community of Madrid, Spain) and in the Comunidad Valenciana (Community of Valencia, Spain) the water catchment areas by run-off (surface water) or seepage (groundwater) corresponding to each of the following polluted measuring points::






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Autonomous Community of the Balearic Islands: 1801M1T 1, ES 53M0137, ES 53M1123 and ES 53M1205;










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Community of Madrid: TA 53306008; and










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Community of Valencia: JU210, JU209 and JU202;














—


by failing to include all the necessary mandatory measures in the action programmes of the Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón (Autonomous Community of Aragon, Spain), the Comunidad Autónoma de Castilla-La Mancha (Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain), the Comunidad de Castilla y León (Autonomous Community of Castilla y León, Spain), the Comunidad Autónoma de Extremadura (Autonomous Community of Extremadura, Spain) and the Community of Madrid, and










—


by failing to take the additional measures or reinforced actions required with regard to nitrate pollution in the Autonomous Communities of Aragon, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León and the Comunidad Autónoma de la Región Murcia (Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia, Spain),
the Kingdom of Spain has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 3(4) of Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1137/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2008, Article 5(4) of that directive, as amended, read in conjunction with Annexes II and III thereto, and Article 5(5) of that directive, as amended;

















2.


Dismisses the action as to the remainder;












3.


Orders the European Commission and the Kingdom of Spain to bear their own costs.






(1)  
            OJ C 418, 31.10.2022.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/3047/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)