28/09/2023 (Agence Europe) – A reasoned opinion has been sent to Belgium for persistent infringement of the Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC) in the Flemish Region, announced the European Commission on Thursday 28 September. Despite an initial warning on 15 February 2023, calling on the Flemish authorities to take urgent action against water pollution by agricultural nitrates, official Flemish reports show that the quality of groundwater and surface water has deteriorated significantly and that almost all surface water is now suffering from eutrophication (proliferation of algae due to nutrients). Since 2015, successive Flemish action programmes on nitrates have not produced the expected results, the Commission points out. However, the directive stipulates that in such cases, urgent measures must be taken. Belgium will have two months to turn things around. In the absence of a satisfactory response, the Commission may refer the matter to the Court of Justice of the EU. (AN)