The European Commission announced on Wednesday 9 February its decision to refer Malta and Poland to the EU Court of Justice for persistent non-compliance with the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (91/271/EC). This directive requires Member States to ensure that urban agglomerations (cities, towns, villages) collect and treat their wastewater in a proper manner.
In respect of these two countries, reminders of this have certainly resulted in progress, but not sufficient progress to achieve full compliance, noted the institution.
The European Commission is also criticising Malta for still not having fully transposed the Directive – something it has been obliged to do since 31 March 2007.
Despite a letter of formal notice sent to the Maltese authorities in December 2016, followed by a reasoned opinion in October 2017, the Member State has failed to ensure that urban waste water entering the collection systems in the towns and built-up areas of South Malta and North Malta is subject to adequate treatment before being discharged.
Poland, for its part, should have complied with the requirements of the Directive in 2015. However, more than 1,000 towns and cities do not have a wastewater collection system, with water being discharged directly into rivers, the sea or lakes without undergoing treatment.
Furthermore, in 415 agglomerations, wastewater is discharged into sensitive areas without undergoing more stringent treatment as required by the Directive. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)