Welsh MEP Jill Evans is backing an initiative in the European Parliament to name and shame countries who have failed to implement a EU Directive on protecting sensitive areas from being polluted by urban waste water.
The directive which affects around 20,000 towns and cities throughout Europe was originally adopted in 1991. It aims to protect the quality of European waters by setting rules for the collection, treatment and discharge of urban waste water and biodegradable waste water from the food processing industry.
Jill Evans MEP, who is a member of the European Parliamentary Committee for the Environment said:
"This important directive sets out four major deadlines for improving the treatment of waste water in European towns and cities. So far its implementation has been a shambles. A report by the European Commission last year highlighted major delays in most EU countries. In the meantime many streams, rivers and estuaries are still being unnecessarily polluted by urban waste water which is wholly unacceptable."
"The directive sets out a legally binding timetable which is not being implemented by a number of countries. We are therefore demanding that the European Commission uses its powers to ensure that this directive is respected and put into practice." <> The first deadline for providing information passed at the end of 1998 but many countries had still not fulfilled their obligations three years later in 2001. MEPs are therefore calling on Member States to fulfil all information obligations imposed under the directive immediately, particularly in view of the fact that the second deadline also passed at the end of 2000 without any worthwhile information being made available.
Jill Evans who is the leader of Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales in the European Parliament added,
"It’s time to name and shame those countries who have failed to act on this important directive. They must not be allowed to neglect their environmental responsibility by continuing to pollute sensitive areas with urban waste water."
Diwedd/Ends.
