Case C-581/24: Action brought on 3 September 2024 – European Commission v Kingdom of Spain
Date: 2024-09-03
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: infringement of EU law, national implementing measure, regions of Spain, wastewater, water treatment








C_202406413EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/6413


4.11.2024






Action brought on 3 September 2024 – European Commission v Kingdom of Spain


(Case C-581/24)

(C/2024/6413)
Language of the case: Spanish

Parties


Applicant: European Commission (represented by: N. Ruiz García and E. Sanfrutos Cano, acting as Agents)

Defendant: Kingdom of Spain

Form of order sought

The applicant claims that the Court should:






—


declare that the Kingdom of Spain has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 3 of Directive 91/271/EEC (1) by failing to take the necessary measures in connection with the collection of urban waste water in the agglomerations of Bajos y Tagoro; Buenavista del Norte; Buzanada; Cabo Blanco; Chío; Cuesta de la Villa; El Calvario; El Monte; El Sauzal; Garachico-La Caleta; Guargacho; Guaza; Guía de Isora (town); Icod Alto; Icod de los Vinos; La Camella; La Caridad; La Centinela; La Corujera; La Florida; La 121 Guancha; La Matanza de Acentejo; La Victoria de Acentejo; Las Galletas-Las Rosas; Radazul; San Miguel; Tabaiba; Tamaimo; and Valle San Lorenzo.










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declare that the Kingdom of Spain has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 4(1) and (3) of Directive 91/271/EEC by failing to take the necessary measures in connection with the treatment of urban waste water in the agglomerations of Abla; Aínsa-Boltaña; Albendín; Alcaraz; Alcaudete de la Jara; Alcudia de Guadix-Esfiliana; Aldeacentenera; Aldeamayor de San Martín; Alhama de Granada; Alia; Almargén; Almendral; Almogía; Alomartes; Arriate; Ayllón; Badolatosa; Baeza-Rus-Canena; Bajos y Tagoro; Baños de Montemayor; Begíjar-Lupión; Belvís de la Jara; Benalúa; Benamaurel; Benamejí; Benasque; Bodonal de la Sierra; Boltaña; Brihuega; Buenavista del Norte; Burguillos; Buzanada; Cabeza la Vaca; Cabo Blanco; Calera de León; Calera y Chozas; Campillo Arenas-Noalejo; Camuñas; Candanchú; Candelario; Canfranc Estación; Canjáyar; Cantillana; Cantoria; Cañamero; Carcaboso; Carlota (La); Casarabonela; Casares; Casariche; Casas de Don Pedro; Castañar de Ibor; Castellar; Castilblanco; Castilblanco de los Arroyos; Castillo de Locubín; Cazorla; Cebolla; Cerler; Chiloeches; Chío; Colomera; Corte de Peleas; Cortes de la Frontera; Cuesta de la Villa; Cuevas de Almanzora; Cuevas de San Marcos; Cumbre (La); Deifontes; Deleitosa; Dúrcal-Nigüelas; El Calvario; El Monte; El Sauzal; Encinas Reales; Esparragosa de la Serena; Esparragosa de Lares; Fermoselle; Fuensanta de Martos; Fuente Palmera; Gálvez; Garachico-La Caleta; Garbayuela; Garciaz; Garlitos; Gerena; Gilena; Gordo (El); Grazalema; Guadahortuna; Guardia (La); Guargacho; Guaro; Guarromán; Guaza; Guía de Isora (town); Haba (La); Hecho; Helechosa de los Montes; Higuera de la Serena; Huesa; Huétor Tájar-Villanueva de Mesía; Ibros; Icod Alto; Icod de los Vinos; Illora; Isso; Iznalloz; Jabalquinto; Jamilena; Jédula; La Camella; La Caridad; La Centinela; La Corujera; La Florida; La Guancha; La Matanza de Acentejo; La Puerta-Puente de Génave; La Victoria de Acentejo; Lagartera; Lanjarón; Las Galletas-Las Rosas; Lopera; Luisiana; Mahora; María; Marinaleda; Martín de la Jara-Los Corrales; Medina de las Torres; Mollina; Monda; Montejícar; Montellano; Montemolín; Moraleda de Zafayona; Morera (La); Moriles-Navas del Sepillar; Nava de Santiago (La); Nava del Rey; Navas de San Juan; Navezuelas; Nogales; Orcera; Oropesa; Palenciana; Panticosa-El Pueyo-Escarrilla; Paredes de Nava; Parra (La); Peñaflor; Peñalsordo; Peñas de San Pedro; Poio-Sanxenxo; Porcuna; Portillo; Pozo Alcón; Pozuelo de Zarzón; Provencio (El); Pruna; Puebla de Alcocer; Puebla de Almoradiel; Pueblanueva; Purullena; Quero; Radazul; Recas; Ríogordo; Roca de la Sierra (La); Roda de Andalucía (La); Rosal de la Frontera; Rueda; 122 Rute; Salar; Sallent de Gállego-Formigal; Salorino; San Cristóbal de Entreviñas; San Martín del Tesorillo; San Miguel; San Pedro; Santa Olalla; Santibáñez El Bajo; Santisteban del Puerto; Saucejo (El); Seca (La); Serrada; Serradilla; Sierra de Yeguas; Tabaiba; Tabernas; Tamaimo; Teba; Tiena-Olivares (formerly Moclín); Toboso (El); Torre de Miguel Sesmero; Torreblascopedro; Torrecillas de la Tiesa; Torremejía; Torrenueva; Trespaderne; Trillo; Valdecaballeros; Valdelacasa de Tajo; Valdepeñas de Jaén; Valdivia; Valencia del Mombuey; Valera de Abajo; Valle de Abdalajís; Valle de la Serena; Valle San Lorenzo; Vélez de Benaudalla; Vélez Rubio; Villa de Don Fadrique (La); Villa del Campo; Villagonzalo; Villalón de Campos; Villanúa; Villanueva de Alcardete; Villanueva de Duero; Villanueva del Arzobispo; Villar de Rena; Villarramiel; Villasequilla de Yepes; Villaverde del Río; Villavieja de Yeltes; and Zorita.










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order the Kingdom of Spain to pay the costs.





Pleas in law and main arguments

In support of its action, the Commission relies on two pleas in law alleging failure to fulfil obligations under Directive 91/271/EEC.






1.


By its first plea in law, the Commission claims that the Kingdom of Spain has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 3 of Directive 91/271/EEC in relation to 29 agglomerations which have not been provided with collecting systems for all or part of the pollutant load generated by the agglomeration and use individual systems which do not comply with the requirements of the third subparagraph of Article 3(1) of Directive 91/271/EEC.










2.


By its second plea in law, the Commission claims that the Kingdom of Spain has failed to fulfil its obligations under Article 4(1) and (3) of Directive 91/271/EEC in relation to 225 agglomerations. In 29 of those agglomerations, the infringement of Article 4 of Directive 91/271/EEC stems from the failure to fulfil Article 3 of that directive, since the water collected in non-compliant individual systems is not treated in the manner required by the directive. The remaining 196 agglomerations either do not have a treatment plant or, if they do, it does not ensure treatment in accordance with the directive or has insufficient capacity to treat the entire pollutant load of the agglomeration. Discharges from those agglomerations are therefore not subject to secondary treatment or an equivalent treatment, as stipulated by Article 4(1) of the directive, nor do they satisfy the requirements of section B of Annex I to the directive, as stipulated by Article 4(3) of that directive.






(1)  Council Directive 91/271/EEC of 21 May 1991 concerning urban waste water treatment (OJ 1991 L 135, p. 40).


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/6413/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)