Brussels, 14/12/2006 (Agence Europe) - On 14 December the European Commission decided to take Finland, Sweden and Portugal to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for failing to ensure proper treatment of urban waste water in a significant number of towns and cities. A commission press release explains that the failure of Finland and Sweden to systematically remove nitrogen when treating the waste water of their inland cities and towns is contributing to the environmental problems of the Baltic Sea. Portugal has failed to respect a special decision on urban waste water discharges from Estoril, near Lisbon, and the surrounding area. Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said: "Finland and Sweden are rightly concerned about the state of the Baltic Sea, but they can help to make it healthier by improving their own waste water treatment. Indeed, European law requires this". (ol)