After repeated warnings, the Commission has decided to take legal action against Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Holland, Portugal and Spain for violations of EU provisions on water quality. The Brussels crackdown more particularly concerns the provisions on damaging substances, on waste water, on minimum standards for drinking water and on the pollution of marine waters used for bathing or for the cultivation of molluscs and shell-fish for human consumption. According to the Executive, any further failure to respect Community legislation will oblige the EU to punish defaulting member states through pecuniary sanctions. Commenting on the decision, EU Commissioner for the environment Margot Wallstroem declared that “conformity with EU provisions is a necessary and indispensable condition for the extension of safety measures in favour of the environment and human health”.
