Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002420/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
César Luena (S&D)
Under the European water resilience strategy, limiting nutrient pollution in aquatic ecosystems has to a key element of efforts to restore water quality. Nutrients from agriculture, urban centres and other sources are harmful for human health, cause algae to proliferate and reduce oxygen in watercourses, thus killing aquatic ecosystems. This challenge causes estimated socio-economic losses of between EUR 75 billion and EUR 485 billion per year for nitrogen alone. Accelerated action is therefore needed from source to sea, including improved implementation of the Nitrates Directive in Member States.
Given that nitrate pollution is one of the main reasons for of the poor chemical and ecological status of Europe’s water bodies, can the Commission say:
- 1.Why it has not announced a review of the Nitrates Directive as part of the aforementioned strategy, with a view to updating it to address new climate, scientific and technological challenges, as it has done with other environmental directives?
- 2.Will the Commission review this directive to bring it into line with the integrated nutrient management plan?
Submitted: 16.6.2025