On Wednesday 13 March, the European Commission decided to refer four Member States - Ireland, Cyprus, Greece and Italy - to the Court of Justice for breaches of EU environmental law.
Habitats. Ireland will have to explain why it does not sufficiently comply with the Habitats Directive (92/43) as regards the protection of peat bogs. In this country, peatlands continue to be degraded by drainage and turf cutting activities, even though they are areas of high biological diversity, home to important species of insects and birds, and are also vital carbon sinks, according to the Commission.
Cyprus has also been referred to the Court, as the Mediterranean island has only defined the conservation measures required for 28 of the 37 sites officially designated as Special Areas of Conservation. In addition, the conservation objectives for five sites are not adequate, meaning that the species and habitats in these sites are not properly protected, says the EU institution.
Water resources. Greece, for its part, has been criticised for failing to adopt national plans for river basin management, as required by the Water Framework Directive (2000/60), or flood risk management plans, as required by the Floods Directive (2007/60).
This decision follows an earlier decision by the Commission to bring seven other Member States (Bulgaria, Cyprus, Spain, Ireland, Malta, Portugal and Slovakia) before the Court on the same grounds (see EUROPE 13345/34).
Urban waste water. Noting shortcomings in 179 agglomerations, the Commission referred Italy to the Court for failure to fully comply with the collection and treatment obligations set in the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (Directive 91/271). Thirty-six Italian agglomerations do not have a collection system, while in other urban areas, waste water discharges into sensitive areas do not meet the required standards. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)