On 9 June, it was announced by the European Commission that Hungary and France are being referred to the European Court of Justice for persistent non-compliance with the requirements set out by the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (91/271/EEC).
The Directive requires Member States to collect and properly treat wastewater from large agglomerations to protect public health and the environment from contamination.
In France, more than 100 agglomerations comprising more than 2,000 inhabitants are found not to comply, as the urban wastewater entering their collection systems is not subjected to an appropriate level of treatment before being discharged.
Further, even where the appropriate treatment level had been reached, the treated wastewater does not meet the requirements set out by the Directive. In addition, 15 of these agglomerations do not comply with the Directive’s additional requirements regarding the protection of sensitive areas against nutrient pollutants. This is despite a letter of formal notice in October 2017 and a reasoned opinion in May 2020.
In Hungary, 22 agglomerations still do not provide all their residents with an urban wastewater collection system or any alternative providing the same level of environmental protection, thereby preventing urban wastewater treatment. In addition, this Member State is not in a position to guarantee a more stringent treatment for five further agglomerations. This is due to the low rate of integration into existing collection systems, along with the high rate of use of individual systems.
Under the applicable Directive, cities and towns with more than 15,000 inhabitants discharging their wastewater into receiving waters that are not considered “sensitive areas” are required to be equipped with collection and treatment systems for their wastewater since January 2001.
A revision aimed at strengthening the Directive is planned for the first quarter of 2022 (see EUROPE 12709/20). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)