Nitrate Directives Presentation

Vilnius, 14 September 2004
Nitrates Directive: requirements and
experiences of implementation
Liliana Cortellini
European Commission, ENV B1
Soil and Agriculture
This presentation does not necessarily represent the view of the European Commission or its Services
Presentation: Liliana Cortellini Slide: 1
DG ENV/B3

Outline
 Directive requirements
 Implementation experiences
 Water monitoring
 Designation of nitrate vulnerable zones
 Design and implementation of the action
programmes
 Conclusions
DG ENV/B3

Nitrate concentration in rivers,
2000-2001
Source EEA, 2004
DG ENV/B3

Nitrate concentration in rivers
in relation to land use
Source EEA, 2004
DG ENV/B3

Nitrate concentration in
groundwaters
Source EEA, 2004
DG ENV/B3

The Nitrates Directive
Objectives
Directive 91/676/EEC concerning the protection of
waters against pollution caused by nitrates from
agricultural sources
 Reducing water pollution caused or induced by
nitrates from agricultural sources
 Preventing further such pollution
DG ENV/B3

Obligations for Member States (1)
 Water monitoring
 Identification of polluted waters, identification of
waters which could be affected by pollution if
measures are not taken
 Nitrates Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) designation,
revision every four years
 Designation of NVZs not required if an action
programme is implemented on the whole territory
DG ENV/B3

Obligations for Member States (2)
 Establish a code or codes of good
agricultural practice, to be implemented by
farmers on a voluntary basis
 Design and implement action programmes
in NVZs
 Assess effectiveness of action programmes
 Report on the implementation to the
Commission
DG ENV/B3

Art. 10
Member States
Reports
12.2005 Revision NVZs
3rd Action Programme
Implementation calendar
2nd Action Programme
1st Action Programme
12 98 12 02
210 kg N 170 kg N
Elaboration
Action
Programme
Transposition
12.93 Designation
of vulnerable
zones (NVZs)
Code of good
practices
1993 1997 2001 2005
Adoption of
Directive
12/12/91
Years: 1992 1996 2000 2004
Water
Monitoring
DG ENV/B3

Commitments of the new
Member States
In advance of accession
establish a complete monitoring system (surface
and ground waters)
detect and designate waters affected by
pollution
designate the Nitrates Vulnerable Zones (at
least one year before accession)
By accession
establish a Code of Good Agricultural Practices
 establish action programmes
DG ENV/B3

Water monitoring and identification
of polluted waters (1)
Nitrate concentration in Freshwaters
where
 sampling stations Directive 75/440/EEC
 other sampling stations representative of
surface waters
when
 at least one year every four years
 monthly and more frequently during flood
periods
DG ENV/B3

Monitoring and identification of
polluted waters (2)
Nitrate concentration in Ground waters
where
 sampling stations representative of
groundwater aquifers
when
 At regular intervals
DG ENV/B3

Water monitoring and identification
of polluted waters (3)
Eutrophic Status
 Fresh surface waters
 Estuarial and coastal waters
Definition of Eutrophication
 Enrichment of water by nitrogen compounds causing
an accelerated growth of algae and higher forms of
plant life to produce an undesirable disturbance to the
balance of organisms present in the water and to the
quality of water concerned
DG ENV/B3

Criteria for identification of
polluted waters (Annex I)
 Nitrate concentration equal or higher than 50
mg/L in groundwaters and surface waters
 Upwards trends so that 50 mg/L nitrate
concentration could be reached if actions are not
taken
 Eutrophic status of freshwaters, estuaries and
coastal waters
 Trend towards eutrophication if actions are not
taken
DG ENV/B3

Towards the standardisation of
the monitoring procedures under
Nitrates Directive (1)
Monitoring guidelines prepared by EC
 Procedures for monitoring of surface waters (sampling
frequency, sampling site selection, timing)
 Procedures for monitoring of groundwaters (frequency,
site selection, timing)
 Procedures for monitoring of estuarine, coastal and
marine waters
DG ENV/B3

Towards the standardisation of
the monitoring procedures under
Nitrates Directive (2)
Monitoring guidelines prepared by EC
 Indicators of eutrophic status of freshwaters, estuaries
and coastal waters
 Monitoring in NVZs for the assessment of action
programme effectiveness
 Monitoring procedures for Member States which apply
the action programme to the whole territory
DG ENV/B3

Designation of Nitrates Vulnerable
Zones
Two possible approaches
 Designation of specific zones
 No designation and implementation of the action
programme in the whole territory
DG ENV/B3

. Whole territory approach
Implementation of the action programme on the
whole territory
Germany
Austria
The Netherlands
Luxemburg
Denmark
Finland
Ireland
Malta
Slovenia
Lithuania
DG ENV/B3

Designation of Nitrates
Vulnerable Zones (1)
Country NVZs
% territory*
Belgium 27
Greece 11
Spain 6,5
French 44
Italy 7,8
Portugal 1,1
Sweden 14
United Kingdom 33
* June 2004, provisional data
DG ENV/B3

. Designation of Nitrates
Vulnerable Zones (2)
Country NVZs
% territory*
Cyprus 23
Czech Republic 36
Estonia 10
Hungary 48
Latvia 15
Poland 2,5
Slovakia 30
* June 2004
DG ENV/B3

Guadeloupe Martinique Madeira
Canary Islands Guyana La Reunion
Km
500
Cyprus
NITRATES DIRECTIVE 91/676/EEC
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
Designated zones, 2001
New
Designated zones, 2002 - 2004
Zones drafted by Member States
Potential vulnerable zones (EC assessment, 2002)
Status: 30. June 2004
Up-date: Catchment-based Information System, JRC
Azores
Map of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones in support of
Implementation of Council Directive 91/676/EEC
concerning the protection of waters against pollution
caused by nitrates from agricultural sources
EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Joint Research Centre
DG ENV/B3

Percentage of water samples exceeding
50 mg/l NO3
Source IEEP, 2002
DG ENV/B3

Fertiliser consumption
DG ENV/B3

Trends in livestock number
Source: FAOSTAT, 2002
DG ENV/B3

Change in the Nitrogen Balance
Source OECD, 2001
DG ENV/B3

Action programmes (1)
 Measures to be included in the Action
Programmes: Annex III and Annex II of the
Directive
 Member States may establish different Action
Programmes for different vulnerable zones or part
of zones (art.5.2)
 Member States could identify additional and
reinforced actions (art. 5.5) in NVZs
DG ENV/B3

Action programmes (2)
Examples of measures to be included in the Action
Programmes
 Minimum storage capacity
 Prohibition periods of fertiliser application
 Maximum Nitrogen amount applied with livestock manure:
170 kg/hectare
 Fertilization according to a nitrogen balance
 Fertilisation procedures near water courses, on slopes, on
frozen, water logged, snow covered soils
 Vegetation cover in winter periods
DG ENV/B3

Action programmes
Manure storage capacity
Result of the study carried on by the Commission
Climatic Zone Suggested minimum
storage capacity
Boreal 9-10 months
Atlantic 6-8 months
Central European
alpine
plains and valleys
7-8 months
6-7 months
Mediterranean area 4 -5 months
DG ENV/B3

Storage capacity
Current situation
 Requirements of storage capacity ≥ 6
months in several MS (e.g. Denmark,
Austria, Finland, Belgium (Wallonia)
individual regions in Italy, France, Germany
 Funding storage vessels in EU 15: Rural
Development and State Aids
DG ENV/B3

Action programmes,
implementation in EU 15
Some of the area requiring improvement
(Report year 2000):
 Storage capacity
 170 kgN/ha from organic manure
 Prohibition periods in fertiliser application
 Provisions on fertiliser spreading near water
course and slopes
DG ENV/B3

Action programmes
Derogation
 The procedure to obtain a derogation
 Denmark derogation (Commission
Decision 915/2002)
 Cattle farms with at least 70% grassland:
230 kg/hectare N from livestock manure
 Farms and arable land encompassed by
derogation: 4%
 Livestock units encompassed by derogation
:11%
DG ENV/B3

An example of Action programme
The Danish case (1)
 Storage capacity: 9 months, construction
standards
 N application with livestock manure: 170
kg/ha (cattle), 140 kg/ha (pig and poultry)
 N in livestock manure: tables of reference
values for all livestock categories and
housing systems (eg: 117-123 kgN/head dairy
cattle, large breed)
DG ENV/B3

The Danish case (2)
 Total Nitrogen application standards for all
main crops (updated yearly on the basis of
data on experimental and pilot farms)
 Minimum manure nitrogen efficiency:
 Pig slurry: 75%
 Cattle slurry: 70%
 Deep litter: 45%
 Other livestock manure: 65%
DG ENV/B3

The Danish case (3)
 Minimum winter cover
 Prohibition period for manure application:
from harvest to February (slurry)
DG ENV/B3

The Danish case (4)
 Fertiliser plans
 To be prepared by all farmers every year
 Fertiliser account
 to be provided to the competent Authorities at
the end of each year
 Checking of compliance:
 evaluation of fertiliser plans+on site inspections
DG ENV/B3

Conclusions (1)
 Nitrogen losses from agriculture represent a
main contribution to pollution of water
 Nitrates Directive has been implemented
slowly
but
 Significant progress has been made in the
recent years
DG ENV/B3

Conclusions
 Further progress are required in Nitrates
Vulnerable Zone Designation and Action
Programme implementation (EU 15)
 Implementation of the Nitrates Directive is
essential in the New Members States to
reduce pollution and avoid extensive
pollution problems over the coming years
DG ENV/B3

More information
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/water/
water-nitrates/index_en.html
 Report on the implementation of the
Nitrates Directive year 2000
 Monitoring guidelines
 Reporting guidelines
DG ENV/B3

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