Keywords
Summary

Keywords

Environment - Treatment of residual urban waste water - Directive 91/271 - Discharge into sensitive area - Concept

(Art. 174(2) EC; second subpara. of Article 3(1) and Article 5(2) of Council Directive 91/271)

Summary

$$The second subparagraph of Article 3(1) of Directive 91/271, concerning the treatment of urban waste water, which deals with discharges of urban waste water into receiving waters considered sensitive areas, and Article 5(2) of the directive, which requires urban waste water entering collecting systems to be subjected to more stringent treatment before discharge into sensitive areas, make no distinction between direct and indirect discharges into sensitive areas.

That interpretation is, moreover, supported by the objective of the directive, which is, according to Article 1, the protection of the environment, and by Article 174(2) EC, which provides that Community policy on the environment is to aim at a high level of protection.

That objective would be undermined if only waste water which discharges directly into a sensitive area had to be subjected to more stringent treatment than that mentioned in Article 4 of the directive.

( see paras 30-32 )