The European Commission has decided to refer Sweden to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failure to ensure that urban wastewater from a number of agglomerations receives adequate treatment, as required by EU rules (Council Directive 91/271/EEC).
Without adequate treatment before discharge into the environment, wastewater can endanger human health and pollute lakes, rivers, soils, coastal and groundwater.
This concerns four agglomerations that still discharge their waste water into sensitive areas (Borås, Habo, Skoghall and Töreboda), whereas they should have been in compliance since December 1998, and 6 others (Lycksele, Malå, Mockfjärd, Pajala, Robertsfors and Tänndalen) that had until December 2005 to comply.
The Commission acknowledges that progress has been made by Sweden, following a letter of formal notice in January 2010, followed by further letters in September 2015 and April 2017 and a reasoned opinion in November 2018, but this is not enough. It hopes that an action before the Court will encourage this Member State to fulfil all its obligations. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)