Commission consults citizens and stakeholders on evaluation of the Nitrates Directive

The European Commission launched today an open public consultation on the evaluation of the Nitrates Directive. Interested parties such as farmers, industries, NGOs, citizens, public administrations, water authorities and others are invited to share their views on the Nitrates Directive via an online consultation that runs until 8 March 2024. 

The evaluation will assess if the Nitrates Directive remains fit for purpose and contributes to a sustainable and resilient agriculture and food security. It will look at whether, in changing climatic and environmental conditions, the directive is helping farmers to adapt and increase resilience, whether it is supportive of new agricultural practices, while sufficiently promoting the recycling of nutrients from various sources, including processed manure. A key objective will also be to investigate the potential for simplification, burden and cost reductions with a focus on increased coherence with other legislation and developments in farm practices and technology. It will also consider the directive’s contribution to the commitments under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework of reducing nutrient losses by 50% by 2030 globally. The evaluation will include several consultation activities aiming to ensure that the sector’s and public’s interests across the EU are properly reflected. 

The Nitrates Directive protects groundwaters, rivers, lakes and seas from pollution caused by nitrates. It sets limits on the use of fertilisers and promotes the adoption of good farming and environmental practices.  Nitrogen is a crucial nutrient that helps plants and crops grow, but high concentrations are harmful to people and nature. Too many nitrates affect water quality and many economic activities, including agriculture and fisheries. One consequence is eutrophication, and toxic algae blooms. Excess of nitrates means additional treatment costs before the water is fit to drink, loss of income for economic operators and disappearance of unique nature. 

Background  

The Commission has announced the evaluation of the Nitrates Directive in its 2024 work programme. Under the Nitrates Directive, EU member states are required to carry out several actions: 

• Identify waters polluted by nitrates and waters that are eutrophic. The process of eutrophication, refers to the enrichment of water with nutrients leading to excessive growth of algae, affecting the aquatic ecosystem's balance,
• Designate areas that are particularly susceptible to nitrate pollution
• Develop codes of good agricultural practices 
• Implement measures aimed at preventing and reducing water pollution caused by nutrients 

Furthermore, the Nitrates Directive supports the implementation of the Water Framework Directive, which aims for all European surface waters to achieve "good status" by 2027. Alongside the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (UWWTD), the Nitrates Directive aims to improve the quality of EU water bodies, as nutrient pollution can be an obstacle to achieving “good status”. 

The EU Biodiversity and Farm to Fork strategies set a shared objective of reducing nutrient losses by at least 50% by 2030 while maintaining soil fertility.  

More information 

Contribute to the public consultation 

Webpage on the Nitrates Directive