EU criticises France over water quality

The European Union is taking France to court over claims that the country has failed to adequately prevent water pollution by nitrates under a 1991 law.

A statement from the European Commission revealed that France had failed to designate parts of the country which are vulnerable to pollution by nitrates. Water quality data from the country found that water monitoring procedures were not properly being carried out by the EU nation.

The European Commission said: "France has still not designated a number of zones that are vulnerable to nitrates pollution, and it has yet to adopt measures to effectively combat nitrates pollution in these zones."

Widely used as fertilisers, nitrates in excess amounts cause severe water pollution, the Commission said. Nitrate has been found to cause health problems if present in public or private water supplies in amounts greater than the drinking water standard set by the European Commission.

Designated areas should have closed periods when manure and chemical fertilisers cannot be spread, according to EU law. The executive pointed to France as being both incorrectly designated and also vulnerable to pollution by nitrates.

Posted by Lauren Steadman