Brussels, 12/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 12 April, the European Court of Auditors published a report in which it affirms that European action against eutrophication of the Baltic Sea "lacks ambition" and has only achieved "limited progress".
The fight against eutrophication of the Baltic Sea - pollution of water caused by an excess of nutrients (mainly from agriculture and urban wastewaters) - is causing a significant proliferation in potentially toxic algae. This represents a substantial challenge to the European Union because the Baltic Sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world. Despite this challenge, the Court argues that member state plans lack ambition and appropriate indicators.
Three shortcomings are highlighted by the Court: investment in infrastructure for treating wastewater has only been partially effective; measures in agriculture have been insufficient; added value from the Union's Baltic Sea Strategy, which seeks to protect the environment and reduce nutriments, is difficult to gauge.
Mr Ville Itälä is a member of the European Court of auditors and is in charge of this dossier. He informed a number of journalists that "Improving water quality in the Baltic needs more targeted action and more co-operation with Russia". He also explained that the objective of a clean and healthy Baltic Sea will only be achieved if, "the countries concerned should make much fuller use of the powers available to them".
In an effort to improve action against eutrophication of the Baltic Sea, the European Court of Auditors has formulated the following recommendations. It argues that the European Commission should continue to promote projects aimed at reducing the nutrient loads into the Baltic Sea from Russia and Belarus by focusing more closely on key polluters. It also says that member states should plan and construct their waste water infrastructure as efficiently as possible and, if necessary, consider granting financial support to households which could not otherwise afford to connect to the sewage network. (Original version in French by Maëlle Didion)