Ireland could face penalties over waste water
The European Commission has asked the EU’s highest court to impose financial penalties on Ireland for failing to fully implement an EU directive on the treatment of urban waste water.
The EU body said that Ireland had failed to comply with a 2019 ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), which found that Ireland had breached the requirements of the in 28 urban areas.
The directive requires EU member states to collect and treat their urban waste water before it is discharged into the environment. It applies to agglomerations (towns or cities) with at least 2,000 inhabitants.
‘Eight areas in breach’
The commission said that, since , Ireland had made progress in resolving issues of compliance in 20 of the areas covered by the judgment.
It added, however, that eight areas remained in breach.
“In six agglomerations Ireland has failed to ensure that overflows from urban waste water collecting systems are sufficiently controlled and appropriately treated,” the commission stated.
“In two further agglomerations, Ireland has failed to ensure that the urban waste water that enters the collecting systems are subject, before discharge, to secondary treatment or an equivalent treatment.
Sensitive area
“Furthermore, in one agglomeration, the urban waste water is discharged to a sensitive area without being subject to a more stringent treatment,” it said.
The EU body described efforts by the Irish authorities to comply with the CJEU judgment as “insufficient”.
It had warned Ireland about the possibility of a referral to the CJEU in November last year.