Tthe European Commission decided to refer France to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failing to comply with the maximum nitrate concentration in drinking water set in the Drinking Water Directive (Directive (EU) 2020/2184). The Drinking Water Directive aims to protect human health against the harmful effects of contaminated drinking water.
In France, over a long period of time, the drinking water supplied to parts of the population exceeded the maximum nitrate concentration. This concerns 107 water supply zones in seven regions, namely Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Centre-Val de Loire, Grand Est, Hauts-de-France, Île-de-France, Occitanie, and Pays de la Loire.
The Commission sent a letter of formal notice to France in October 2020. This was followed by a reasoned opinion in February 2023. The Commission considers that efforts by the French authorities to fully addressed the grievances have, to date, been insufficient and is therefore referring France to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Background
The Drinking Water Directive improves the protection of human health through up-to-date water quality standards, tackling pollutants of concern such as endocrine disruptors and microplastics, ensuring high quality water from the tap for all EU citizens.
The most recent revision of the Directive also includes new provisions that require Member States to improve and maintain access to drinking water for all, as well as provisions on Member States' water leakage levels. It supports the Zero Pollution Action Plan, as well as the upcoming Water Resilience Initiative under the European Green Deal.
