France nitrates-pollution saga comes to an end[de] 

The Commission announced its decision on Wednesday (12 September) after France adopted new measures imposing a 30% legally-binding reduction of nitrate inputs by farmers in nine remaining contentious water-abstraction points in Brittany.

The move follows a period of "intense contact" with the Commission "to define the appropriate measures to be taken."

The new measures , which will take effect on 1 January 2008, include a French commitment to annually examine half of all the farmers working in the contentious areas and the setting-up of a permanent task force to help them adapt to the measures. The French government will report every three months to the Commission on the implementation of the measures and on improvements in water quality.

In a statement, the Commission said that France had "taken measures to implement its March 2007 plan of action to ensure that nitrate concentrations of all remaining non-compliant drinking water abstraction points do not exceed 50 mg/l by the end of 2009, in accordance with the Surface Water Directive".

Stavros Dimas, the EU environment commissioner, welcomed the move, saying that he hoped the court case, originally opened in 2001, could now be definitively closed: "I am confident that the measures now taken combined with a pro-active response by farmers should lay the basis for more sustainable agricultural practices in Brittany and long term compliance with EC legislation," he said.

In March 2007, the Commission sent France a final warning for failing to comply with a 2001 judgement on surface-water pollution by nitrates and had three months to take action. The EU executive confirmed its decision in June, formally asking the ECJ to impose a €28 million fine and a €117,882 daily penalty payment (EurActiv 28/06/07).